Like an Open Window
by Shades of Ink
Summary: Really old and badly written story about a Seer, a family she denies, and another family she wants more than ever to remember. A tad bit Mary-Sue-ish, but hey, like I said, it's old. It now has a sequelprequel which is actually not half bad.
1. Dozing off in Divination

"Is Peter coming?" James said with a note of anxiety in his voice. He was nervous, but constantly reminded himself he was getting married - which was a good thing. It was supposed to be a happy day, but he couldn't help feeling jumpy.  
  
Sirius scratched his head absently. "Actually, he said he couldn't. He didn't say why. I'm sure it was unavoidable - he would have come to his friend's wedding if he had the choice."  
  
James narrowed his eyes, "I don't know. He has seemed a bit dodgy lately. Do you think he might know something we don't?"  
  
Remus and Sirius looked at each other momentarily, and then eyed James incredulously. Remus was the one to speak up. "Wormtail? Honestly, Prongs, are you alright? This is Peter we're talking about." He turned to Sirius. "You didn't spike the punch, did you?"  
  
Sirius threw up his hands. "I would never!" he cried in mock innocence. James ran his hand through his hair, and with a sigh of frustration, walked back to the mirror to flatten it out again.  
  
"Sirius, do you think you could find Lily? I don't think it's natural to take this long to get ready." James said without looking away from the mirror.  
  
Sirius spun around dramatically, "She did come, didn't she?" James finally looked away from the mirror and his eyes widened in panic. Sirius laughed, "Don't worry, I know she's here - she's just a little superstitious about seeing you before the wedding. I'll go find her." He was still laughing when he left.  
  
As Sirius left the room, Remus went to follow him out the door, but then stopped and whispered, "Don't drink the punch."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jamie's mind came back to the heavily perfumed classroom to see that Professor Trelawney was reading her palm and announcing to the class that she would die at the age of thirty four. Jamie Waters rolled her eyes.  
  
She had a great deal of respect for Professor Trelawney, but Jamie could tell when she was covering up for her lack of insight into the future. If anyone knew about the subtle art of Divination, it was Jamie.  
  
Truth be told, Jamie was more qualified to teach Divination than Professor Trelawney was. *Professor Waters* she thought to herself, *It's got a nice ring to it.* Jamie had been born a very receptive Seer.  
  
Professor Trelawney knows this, and therefore it's obvious that Jamie would get nothing less than top marks. She rarely paid attention in this class, so she used the spare time to use her Sight. The room was hot and it was hard to breathe, but the atmosphere often helped Jamie to reach out with her mind.  
  
She had no idea who those people had been in the vision she had just had. It was obviously a wedding that had happened in the past, and that was no help to her. She often saw random things like that, and always tried to shut it out.  
  
Professor Trelawney was rambling on, and Jamie - quite inconspicuous, sitting in the back - let her mind relax, and drifted off once more. *This time it's only for information* she thought to herself as shapeless images rushed past her. Just this last time, a strange stab of curiosity had struck and she had followed it. That was when she saw the wedding. She wouldn't get carried away like that again. She didn't like invading other people's memories.  
  
She concentrated hard, straining to drown out Professor Trelawney's oddly mystifying voice. Suddenly, she felt an opaque darkness surround her and fear settled in, as it always did.  
  
With a deep sense of foreboding, she stopped reaching out. Oddly enough, this is what she had been searching for. *Information* she thought to herself *any information.* She absently hoped she hadn't said that out loud - she was still in class with everyone else.  
  
She began to run through the list of names in her head; Macnair, Avery, Crabbe, Travers, Goyle, Malfoy - Jamie hesitated as a dark thought struck her, and she pushed it aside quickly. Pettigrew.(yes, she knew all about nasty Wormtail)  
  
Nothing. Still nothing. *Green* she thought. Still nothing. *Green serpents.* She still saw nothing. With a mental sigh, she finally went to her last option, and concentrated hard on the gruesome image of the Dark Mark. A skull more hideous than you can imagine with a long snake creeping through the mouth with sharp, piercing eyes - so bright and yet so fathomless.  
  
Jamie could feel it's horribly intense eyes upon her, and she continued, but with caution. She had found him.  
  
Jamie could not let those eyes examine her for long. She knew the eye of the snake was to be avoided. Voldemort had somewhat the same gift as she, except he had worked his whole life for that control. Jamie let it come to her naturally.  
  
That is why she could not stay here for long. If the Dark Lord was to enter her mind - even for only a second - there's no telling how much information her open mind would provide. She was beckoning to him, and Jamie knew how vulnerable that made her. As long as Voldemort didn't recognize that invitation, she would be able to find something useful. Not only was she doing this for Dumbledore, she was doing it for everyone around her. But, naturally, nobody knew.  
  
*This is taking too long,* she thought hopelessly, *He's not letting me in.* But just as she began to release her concentration, an image ran past her. It had been brief, but vivid. She grasped that image and focused on it.  
  
Short creatures with crooked noses. *Professor Flitwick?* She thought incredulously. *No,* she thought - almost laughing to herself, despite the darkness that enveloped her. *They were goblins.* But there was something else. was it fear? It must have been fear - Jamie could feel it coursing through her veins. *Goblins and fear do not mix,* she thought.  
  
Then, a single word surfaced in her thoughts. *Gringotts.* Just then, the background took place in her mind's vision. She could feel Gringotts all around her. There was a sudden flash of green light, and the goblin that had shown so much fear collapsed to the polished marble floor as all life left his body.  
  
Jamie felt a cold chill. She was now outside of Gringotts amidst the panic. She looked towards the sky - anticipating and dreading it at the same time. She already knew what she would see. There lied the Dark Mark.  
  
Jamie struggled for a date or a time, but lost focus as she was jerked back to the present.  
  
"I bid you good fortune," the mystical, distant voice pervaded her thoughts. "and class, I do hope you've learned something today for once." Classes often made Professor Trelawney slightly flustered.  
  
*Oh, I've learned something alright.* Jamie said under her breath as she left the classroom. However, she did not follow the rest of the Slytherins to the common room. Instead she headed in the direction towards Dumbledore's office.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	2. Eagle and Serpent

IF YOU ARE READING REVIEW JUST TO LET ME KNOW THAT SOMEBODY IN THIS WORLD IS READING THIS!!!!!!!! Thank you, now read. :D  
  
Chapter 2: Eagle and Serpent  
  
Jamie, of course, knew the password. She was one of the few students - if not the only student - that had direct access to the headmaster. This was exactly why - to report things as soon as possible. And reporting this as soon as possible was a very important thing especially because she didn't know exactly *when* the break-in would be happening.  
  
She raced down the halls and just before she reached the stone gargoyle, Tom Jenkins - Jamie's Ravenclaw boyfriend - approached her casually.  
  
"Hey Jamie!" he said enthusiastically.  
  
Jamie stopped for a second, and then began to walk very fast to the library to cover up for her running down the hallway.  
  
"Hi, Tom."  
  
Tom struggled to keep up with her, "Where are you going?"  
  
Jamie thought for a second - *hmmm, where am I going?* "The library." she decided.  
  
"Great! I was just about to go there myself. We can study together."  
  
Jamie sighed. Tom was becoming more of an annoying little brother than a boyfriend. "That's okay, Tom - I just remembered I already did my homework today." *Oh goodness, I hope he buys that,* she thought.  
  
Tom frowned, "But you just got out of class!"  
  
"I did it during Divination." She lied lamely.  
  
"Okay." Tom said looking at the ground. Then he smiled cheerfully, "see you at dinner then."  
  
*How is it he's always so happy?* Jamie set off down the nearest staircase, and when she looked back, and saw that Tom was finally out of sight, she turned around, ran back up the steps, and gave the password to the stone gargoyle. She followed the moving staircase and knocked on the door to Dumbledore's office.  
  
The door automatically opened. The portraits on the walls seemed to be asleep, but Jamie noted they were snoring a little too loudly for this to be true.  
  
Dumbledore looked up from a very long roll of parchment he was reading. "News, Miss Waters?"  
  
Jamie plunged in without preamble, "There will be a break-in at Gringotts. Death Eaters." She said simply.  
  
"Did you see it?"  
  
"Yes"  
  
"When?"  
  
"Well, I'm not sure, exactly. I know it will happen after sundown, but I don't know what date. I do know they're planning it, and I do know it's close."  
  
"No, Miss Waters - when did you see it?"  
  
Jamie's stomach sank, "Just now." She said it almost as a question.  
  
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows, "In class?"  
  
Jamie nodded her head guiltily. She knew that during class was the worst time she could have done it. But Dumbledore only smiled.  
  
"Everyone's dozed off in Divination at least once."  
  
Jamie laughed.  
  
Dumbledore then became very grave. "I'll owl Gringotts security at once."  
  
Jamie smiled and left the office.  
  
She traveled down into the depths of the castle down to where the Slytherin common room was. *Why does it always have to be so dark down here?* She thought to herself.  
  
Jamie approached the apparently blank stone wall, spoke the password, and entered through the door that slid open.  
  
She did not belong here.  
  
As always, almost every Slytherin present stopped what they were doing just to glare at her. *Welcome home!* She thought cheerfully to herself. Jamie was an orphan who had been entrusted to Dumbledore. So, naturally, she stayed at Hogwarts during holidays and summers. There was no refuge - no home to look forward to - to endure her stay here.  
  
Sometimes, Jamie wondered if it was her parents who had entrusted her to Dumbledore. Who else would have? And if that were true, then did that mean her parents - or at least her mother and stepfather - knew they were going to die?  
  
Jamie could see into the past on all occasions. But she - for some odd reason - could not see her own past. There was a cloud over her vision she could not explain. She couldn't remember much - but of course, she had been very young. Her biological father never really was a part of her life, but there was another father figure - Dumbledore had told her that it was her stepfather, and also told her not to ask any more questions.  
  
She could vaguely see her mother - the same brown hair, the same brown eyes. But her stepfather - the one she was dying to remember - she could not see. Something was still clouding her vision.  
  
She knew the rough outline of her childhood, but it was the details Jamie wanted - details she could only gather if she were seeing it in front of her. But that was the problem - she couldn't see.  
  
Of course, there were some things Jamie did not want to remember, and some things she wished she had never known.  
  
Pansy Parkinson looked over with a look of disgust. "Ugh, who gave *her* the new password?" she called out coldly, emphasizing the word *her* as if she were talking about a filthy rat.  
  
"Oh give her a break, Pansy," Draco Malfoy said acidly, looking up from his book with a challenging look in his eyes, as if daring Jamie to say something, "It's not her fault that ratty old Sorting hat made a mistake."  
  
Jamie knew it was meant to be an insult, but she couldn't help considering the possibility. People often told her she belonged in Ravenclaw - and it made perfect sense. Most Seers who had come to Hogwarts had been in Ravenclaw - although, only a few new she was a Seer. The famous Cassandra Trelawney herself had been in Ravenclaw. It was utterly clear why; Ravenclaws were known for their wisdom.  
  
It really made no sense why brown-eyed, brown-haired Jasmine Waters apparently *belonged* in Slytherin house. Her mother had been in Ravenclaw and her father - well. now there's your answer.  
  
Jamie suddenly remembered Draco was provoking her, and she racked her brain for something equally bitter to say, but when she found nothing, she finally settled on giving him a harsh glare.  
  
Knowing she had made a complete idiot out of herself by saying nothing, Jamie decided she had no choice but to leave.  
  
*But where to go?* She asked herself as she exited the common room and began to walk down the shadowy stone corridor. She decided to go with her instincts and head for the library.  
  
*Exactly what a Ravenclaw would do,* she thought dryly.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	3. Mashed Potatoes

Chapter 3: Mashed Potatoes (grrrrr)  
  
It turns out Tom had really meant it when he had said he was going to the library, so they ended up walking into the Great Hall for dinner together after studying. She was glad to have a break from the monotonous conversation - *he must feel like he's talking to a wall. A bit of food should shut him up*, she thought, slightly irritated. Jamie immediately felt guilty for thinking that - but she still meant it.  
  
"Hufflepuff was well organized, but they were no comparison to our strategy. So, as I was saying, John Wilshire had just scored, so they were up by twenty. Meyers pulled into a dive, but I knew he was feinting because I could see the snitch on the other end of the pitch. Apparently, one of the Hufflepuff beaters had seen me go after it, and knocked a bludger my way. It was a good shot, of course, but I was quicker."  
  
*And so on.*  
  
Jamie sat with Tom at the Ravenclaw table. At a feast, she might not have been able to pull this off, but this was an every-day dinner in the Great Hall, and it was easily (and maybe even purposefully) overlooked by the Heads of Houses.  
  
Jamie had her back to the Gryffindors, and was facing the Slytherins. She frowned inwardly. She'd rather not have to see them every time she looked up. But, all in all, she was grateful to be sitting where she was.  
  
"So, when I was about seven, my brothers would take me out to play quidditch." *Obviously, the food hadn't gotten in the way of Tom's story.* "They were rough on me, of course, but I supposed that's how I got to be so good." He gave himself a proud smile and continued. What he said next, Jamie wasn't quite sure, for, by now, she was spacing out and beginning to let her mind drift over to the conversation behind her at the Gryffindor table. She couldn't help it - it was far more interesting than what Tom was saying.  
  
"These potatoes are awful!" came Harry Potter's voice from behind her.  
  
"Oh, stop complaining, they're not that bad." Ron said.  
  
"Honestly, I can't eat any of it." Jamie heard him drop his spoon onto his plate. He obviously didn't like his mashed potatoes. Jamie took a taste of her own potatoes. *He's right, they are awful.*  
  
Then Hermione's voice joined the conversation, "About a hundred enslaved house elves have spent probably hours preparing this food for you - the least you could do is enjoy it."  
  
If an eye roll was audible, Jamie was sure she would have heard from both Ron and Harry.  
  
Then silence.  
  
"What, Ron?" Harry asked. More silence.  
  
Meanwhile, Tom continued, "My dad always imagined me as a keeper. But when Chang graduated and I was made Ravenclaw seeker, he was happy all the same. I'm sure I would have made a good keeper." He was, of course, oblivious to the fact that Jamie wasn't listening.  
  
"What is it, Ron?" Harry persisted suspiciously. Still no response from Ron. Hermione was giggling. Apparently, he had told her what was going on - and although Jamie had her back to them, in her mind, she could clearly see the spoon in Ron's hand.  
  
"What is going on? And Ron, why are you grinning?"  
  
Jamie had the sudden impulse to duck her head as if a nameless voice had whispered the command in her ear. And just in time, too. Evidently, the spoonful of mashed potatoes had narrowly missed Harry's head, flew over Jamie's ducked head, and hit Tom right square in the face. And right in the middle of his riveting story as well.  
  
Ron's features turned from mischievous to mortified. " I-am-so-sorry." Ron said each word very slowly and thoroughly as if afraid that talking too fast might worsen the situation. He apparently abandoned this plan as he began to talk very rapidly, constantly stumbling over his words. Tom wiped his face.  
  
"I'm terribly sorry. Big mis-mistake, I. I meant to hit Harry, but-"  
  
"Hey!" Harry protested.  
  
"No need to apologize," Tom said casually, brushing it aside with his potato-free hand. " I'm afraid I'll be the one apologizing after Ravenclaw crushes Gyffindor in the next quidditch match." The statement was ominous, but Tom's eyes were smiling and his mood was cheerful - of course as well as competitive. He was, after all, the Ravenclaw quidditch captain.  
  
Ron smiled with relief. Now they were speaking the same language.  
  
Dinner went surprisingly well after that. Tom and Jamie had joined the Gryffindor table, and once again, it went unnoticed by the staff. Tom and Ron talked the whole time about whatever they could think of that had to do with quidditch, and Jamie and Hermione discussed Transfiguration. Meanwhile, Harry ate his mashed potatoes in silence.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The massive crowd of students was swarming towards the doors that led to the Entrance Hall. Jamie had no choice but to be herded along. Tom and Ron were somewhere behind her, still talking about bludgers and quaffles, and Hermione had somehow miraculously gotten past the multitude and to the library. Much to Jamie's content, the Slytherins were well out of taunting range - but she could only hold it off long enough until she got to the common room. Harry had caught up with her.  
  
"I'm really sorry about what happened to your - er - friend," he said.  
  
Jamie smiled casually, "Don't be. It's not your fault Ron missed your head," she said, grinning. Harry evidently didn't know how to respond to this, so Jamie went on, "Besides, the conversation was going nowhere - it certainly made things a lot more interesting."  
  
Jamie couldn't help laughing at Harry's reaction. He was obviously torn between shock and amusement. Jamie, however, was surprised when Harry recovered so quickly.  
  
His face broke into a grin, "Does that mean it's a good thing Ron has such an awful aim?"  
  
"Let's just say you should be grateful he isn't a chaser for Gryffindor." When she said this, she frowned inwardly at the hypocrite she had just made of herself. Hadn't she just been complaining about Tom constantly talking about quidditch?  
  
Fortunately, either Harry didn't notice, or he didn't know what made Tom so boring - because he continued to talk about the coming game. But this time, Jamie listened.  
  
"It wouldn't matter if Ron was chaser, as long as Tom didn't get the snitch, and I'm sure that if-" Harry stopped short when Jamie halted right by a cold, dark stairway that led underground.  
  
"What?" Harry said, clearly baffled.  
  
"Oh, I stopped because I have to go this way, and I was going to say good bye once you finished your sentence." Jamie explained, purposefully leaving out *why* she had to go that way.  
  
"Why? The Ravenclaw common room is on the second floor."  
  
Jamie hesitated and wondered how Harry knew that, but decided to ask him later. She got right to the point. "Because I'm not in Ravenclaw, I'm in Slytherin."  
  
Harry frowned, "But you always sit at the Ravenclaw table."  
  
"Well, I'm sure you wouldn't want to eat with the Slytherins either if you had the choice."  
  
"I guess not." Harry replied blankly, and watched her hair bounce as she ran down the stairs into the depths of the castle. 


	4. Potions and Breakups

Author's note: the next two chapeters will be a little strange and what I hope is funny. But after that, the story will get very dark. Bear in mind, that the end of the book is going to be a terrible, horrible cliffhanger, and I wouldn't be surprised if people sent me nasty hate mail just because it is such a cliffhanger. After that I will get the 2nd book ready and try to make things a little less confusing.  
  
But, fortunately, I'm not at that part of the book yet, and I'll try to update regularly. Ok, enough with the boring author's note.  
  
Over the years, Potions had not improved. Snape was as cruel and vindictive toward anything wearing robes as ever. The students were literally frightened for their lives.  
  
Jamie was a very gifted Seer. There's no doubt that an auror with the gift of Sight would be highly valued. It was in her third year that Dumbledore had recommended she consider it as a career. As most people know - in order to be accepted as an auror, one must receive top marks in Potions. That's why Jamie was here. She knew her potions and antidotes fairly well, and had she the choice, she would be anywhere but here.  
  
She knew Harry felt the same way about Professor Snape, and was surprised at the beginning of her sixth year to see that he had continued taking it. There had been a rumor going around that he was taking Remedial Potions, but she didn't buy it. Now, in their seventh year, they were both still taking Potions. Ron had continued taking it as well, but Hermione had obviously chosen a career that held no relevance to potions. Lucky her.  
  
Jamie saw that as Harry sat down and began to take out his supplies, Snape had gotten up and walked across the classroom in his general direction.  
  
"Goodness, Potter. You honestly think you still belong in this class?" was all he said. Harry gave him an icy glare, but didn't dare do any more than that because he was still outranked by this slime ball.  
  
*The greasy git,* Jamie thought. At that moment a series of images and clips of conversations rushed through her head all at once. "All right there, Snivellus?" "Tell me, boy, does anything penetrate that thick skull of yours?" An image of Snape in a lace-trimmed dress with a red handbag and a hat topped with a moth-eaten vulture. ".his head was so swollen-" "SHUT UP!" "What did you say to me, Potter?" The last of these images was an old piece of parchment with a rather peculiar message; "Mr. Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business."  
  
*Mr. Moony?* Jamie had a feeling she should know this person.  
  
Suddenly realizing she was the only person standing, she took the only vacant seat. She had barely started on her Healing Draught when she saw Draco Malfoy take out his wand, point it toward Harry's supplies, and whisper, "Accio Wormwood."  
  
"By now, your Healing Draught should be a bright yellow." Snape called out to the class.  
  
Seeing that Draco's potion was exactly that color, Jamie took out her own wand and muttered the curse to turn it blue.  
  
Ron stirred his mixture twice and turned to Harry. "You won't believe what I read in Hermione's Daily Prophet this morning."  
  
Harry stirred his own draught twice. "I already heard about the break-in at Gringotts." he replied lazily.  
  
Jamie's breath caught in her throat and her head snapped up. "Not that," Ron said, lowering his voice. "This witch in Ireland swore she saw Sirius Black outside her house." His voice held a note of dark amusement. He looked over at Jamie and noticed she had been hanging onto his every word. "Which is an absolutely absurd story, because I heard he was in France." he continued nervously. "Yeah.France, right."  
  
Harry began rummaging around for his wormwood, and Jamie leaned over with a handful of hers, and whispered, "It's okay, I know about Sirius. I know he's dead."  
  
Ron's jaw dropped. "How?"  
  
Harry, however, got somewhat irritated that she was speaking so lightly of it. "Do you know how he died?" he whispered fiercely. "You wouldn't happen to know who killed him, would you?"  
  
Jamie met his angry glare, "I know a lot more than you think I do." Ron, however, still wasn't taking any of it in. "How?" he repeated.  
  
Jamie then realized she had said too much. The tension left Harry's face and was replaced by intrigue. "How much do you know?" he said. Ron just stirred his Healing Draught in confusion.  
  
*I know they won't tell the whole world if I tell them the truth,* she thought, giving in slightly. "I know that he was innocent." she whispered. Harry gazed blankly at his now crimson Healing Draught, and clenched his teeth. Jamie could feel his anger - and utter sorrow.  
  
Jamie hadn't told them how she knew, but she knew it would come up again sooner or later. The truth was, she had been trying to get information on the Death Eaters one day in her fourth year, when she saw Peter Pettigrew - alive. She had asked Dumbledore about it, and he had had no choice but to tell her the whole thing about Sirius Black. She sat back in her own seat when she saw Snape had gotten up to inspect the class's work.  
  
"The finished product should be a bright crimson red - that is, if you weren't too dense to mess it up."  
  
Jamie leaned over to Harry, "Shouldn't he be sleeping during the day?" He smiled and held back a laugh. Snape walked over to them.  
  
Ron kicked Harry and his face grew serious. Snape leaned over to look into the cauldron, and saw it was exactly the color it should be. Obviously disappointed, he moved on.  
  
"A little too light to be crimson." "Good, Parkinson." "Bulstrode - good." He stopped in front of Draco's cauldron and frowned at the bright blue mixture. He sniffed angrily and marched back to the front of the class giving his cape an unnecessary flourish.  
  
"Cheers!" Ron whispered, smiling like it was Christmas day.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
After classes were over, Jamie went to the library - once again avoiding the common room. She took Interpreting Prophecies out from its place on the shelf. She then saw Tom was there, too.  
  
"Jamie! Sit over here." He said, waving her over.  
  
She smiled and sat down.  
  
Tom continued reading whatever it was he was reading, but Jamie did not open her book.  
  
She was thinking about what happened at Gringotts, and she felt bitterly useless. *What's the point in foreseeing something if you can't prevent it?* she thought. Even though she had spent all of Divination searching for it, even though she went and told Dumbledore about it, even though he had alerted security - it still happened. It just goes to show how much at power Voldemort really was. He can get past even those with Sight.  
  
"What's up?" Tom asked, with what appeared to be concern on his face.  
  
"Nothing." Jamie said, staring at the details and contours of the table in front of her - but not really looking at it.  
  
"What's so interesting about the desk?" he asked.  
  
Jamie laughed and looked up at him. Come to think of it, he was rather good- looking.  
  
After about a minute, he narrowed his eyes and asked the dumbest question he could have asked. "Are you reading my mind?"  
  
Jamie sighed. "No, Tom." she said, looking up at the ceiling.  
  
But he remained suspicious. "Are you sure?"  
  
Jamie looked at him again. Come to think of it, maybe he wasn't really that handsome. Either way, Jamie couldn't stand this. "Yes, Tom." she said a little louder, and with a note of irritation.  
  
"All right, just making sure. You know, I really can't tell if you are."  
  
"You honestly think I would do that?" Jamie said, getting more and more frustrated.  
  
"It's not that I think you would, it's just that I know you can." He was so incredibly calm, it was unnerving.  
  
"Don't you trust me?" she asked, growing somewhat disgusted.  
  
His eyes widened and he gasped. "Of course I do, you know I do." he said in what he thought was a comforting voice.  
  
Jamie rolled her eyes. He was obviously trying to cover it all up. "It sure doesn't sound like it."  
  
"I - I didn't mean it, Jamie."  
  
"If you didn't mean it, you wouldn't have brought it up. Maybe I shouldn't have told you in the first place."  
  
"That wouldn't have been fair. I had the right to know."  
  
Jamie couldn't stand this. "How did you have the right to know?" she said, standing up.  
  
"I'm your boyfriend. I'm around you all the time. I'd want to know if you were able to read my thoughts!" he countered, also standing up.  
  
"Not that I ever would!"  
  
"How am I supposed to know you aren't?"  
  
She hesitated. Apparently, Tom didn't know he had hit a nerve - but he had. This is why Jamie didn't tell anyone about her gift. It was all about trust. How was she supposed to get close enough to someone enough for them to trust her - if they all avoided her because their thoughts weren't safe? The only way for people to know she wouldn't read their minds, is if they all assumed she didn't know how.  
  
Tom was proof of what would happen if she did tell someone her secret.  
  
"Tom, I don't think we should see each other anymore. Obviously, this has all been a big mistake." Jamie said firmly.  
  
Tom looked down as he considered this, sighed, and looked up. "Okay," was all he said.  
  
With a quick realization, Jamie decided she needed to make one request. She would beg if she had to.  
  
"Can I still sit at your table, though?" she asked hopefully. She would rather die than sit with the Slytherins again.  
  
A shadow of a smile flickered through his tense face, "Sure."  
  
Jamie smiled, but didn't look up at him. She grabbed her book - not intending to read it - and turned around to leave.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said when Jamie turned her back.  
  
She stopped, but didn't turn around. She knew an apology was a good thing, but she did not smile. "So am I." she said - more to herself than to him. Still not facing him - she left the library.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jamie entered the Great Hall for dinner that day alone. She strolled over to the Ravenclaw table. She knew she was still invited to join them, she had a friend or two over there.  
  
Lisa Turpin, an energetic girl with short blonde hair (yes, there is such a thing as a blonde Ravenclaw *author rolls her eyes*) ran up to Jamie with a shocked look on her face.  
  
"Jamie, please tell me it isn't true." she said seriously.  
  
Jamie had no idea what she was talking about, but she replied anyway, "It isn't true." she said grinning.  
  
Lisa rolled her eyes. "I'm serious, Jamie! This is important!" she cried desperately. Lisa's tone of voice was starting to make Jamie worry. Her face fell, and she let Lisa continue, "What?"  
  
Lisa plunged in, talking rapidly, "Terry Boot told me he heard Tom talking about how he dumped you today and how-"  
  
"That grindylow, he's lying!" Jamie said. Lisa relaxed, but Jamie continued, "I dumped HIM!" At this, Lisa drooped her shoulders and let her face drop in her hands as she sat down at the Ravenclaw table. Jamie joined her.  
  
"Why, Jamie? Why?" she asked - her voice muffled by her hands.  
  
Jamie considered this for a moment, "Well, to tell you the truth, he's not really that great - in fact, he's a bit of an idiot."  
  
Lisa dropped her hands and lifted her face. All she did was mouth a pathetic 'Wha-?' silently. Jamie smiled. Every single girl in Ravenclaw wanted to go out with Tom Jenkins, and here was Jamie, talking about why she dumped him. She smiled happily to herself.  
  
Lisa sighed, "You're a nutter, Jamie, you know that?"  
  
Jamie smiled proudly, "Yeah, I suppose so."  
  
Lisa sighed and tilted her head, "I'm guessing Tom's not taking it too well, is he?"  
  
Jamie looked around and finally spotted him - talking animatedly to Padma Patil, obviously trying to impress her.  
  
Jamie smiled, "No, I think he's recovering just fine."  
  
Lisa followed Jamie's gaze and then shrugged. She turned back to her food, and exclaimed, "These nasty potatoes AGAIN!?"  
  
Jamie laughed, and then turned around to see if Harry noticed. It didn't seem like it - in fact, he probably didn't realize he was eating it. 


	5. Operation Pixie

Author's note: YAY! I put in Fred and George because I miss them, and I knew that my story would be boring without Fred and George. I'm also gonna try and put them in the 2nd book when they were like 3 yrs old. They just have to appear somewhere.  
  
Oh! *author hits her head on the desk* I forgot a discalaimer! Stupid, stupid, STUPID me!  
  
Discalaimer: I own nothing. In fact I am nothing. I wish I was an author, but we all know JKR is the real author here. All I own is Jamie. and maybe Seamus Finnigan's shoes. (once you read chapter six, you'll understand what I'm talking about.)  
  
All right, now you can read.  
  
A couple weeks later (after a series of the same classes, and the same conversations, and the same cloudy weather, same blah, blah, blah) Lisa ran up to Jamie, literally jumping up and down.  
  
"Lisa, calm down! What are you so excited about?" Jamie asked. She couldn't help but laugh.  
  
Lisa stopped jumping and looked shocked. "You silly goose!" she knocked on Jamie's head. But Jamie remained confused. "What?"  
  
Lisa beamed, "Christmas!" she squealed.  
  
"Oh" Jamie replied, slightly crestfallen. She would, of course, be staying here.  
  
"Aren't you excited?"  
  
Jamie gave in and smiled, "Yeah, I guess."  
  
Lisa raised an eyebrow, "Oh, come on. We've got to do *something* before holidays."  
  
Jamie smiled mischievously and considered this.  
  
"Nifflers?" Lisa asked.  
  
Jamie frowned, "A little too destructive. And plus - everyone's done nifflers."  
  
Lisa screwed up her face in concentration. "What, then?"  
  
Jamie grinned broadly. "Pixies."  
  
"Pixies?"  
  
"Mad pixies. We'll set them loose all over the castle."  
  
Lisa gave a quiet *Oooohhhh* and began to grin as well.  
  
Another thought struck Jamie, and she frowned. "There's only one problem."  
  
Lisa looked perplexed, "What's that?"  
  
Jamie sighed, "Where are we going to get a whole bunch of mad Cornish pixies before everyone leaves for the holidays?"  
  
Lisa frowned and gave a small *hmm* before immediately brightening again. "You know who I should ask?"  
  
"Who?"  
  
Lisa smiled secretively.  
  
"Is it this guy you keep telling me about?"  
  
Lisa nodded.  
  
"Has he asked you out yet?"  
  
Lisa nodded again, still smiling.  
  
"Would you at least tell me who it is?"  
  
"Ron." she said simply.  
  
"Ron?" Jamie exclaimed, slightly shocked.  
  
"From Gryffindor."  
  
"I know who Ron is," Jamie said. "But how is he supposed to help us? How's he supposed to get us a mad bunch of pixies?"  
  
Lisa smiled broader than ever. "Fred and George."  
  
"Brilliant!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
OPERATION PIXIE:  
  
It was a dull December morning in the Great Hall, two days before everyone went home for the holidays. It had been gray and chilly the past two months, but - to everyone's surprise and disappointment - it hadn't snowed yet. Some of the older students had tried to use magic to make it snow. Those who tried, usually ended up having a small single snowing cloud that would follow them around everywhere. Some ended up in the hospital wing due to freezing themselves, and Seamus Finnigan had managed to somehow make his shoes talk - and he didn't know how he did it. He eventually went to Hogsmeade to buy new ones, but Dumbledore - for some odd reason - asked Seamus if he could keep them. Seamus had handed over the chattering sneakers without complaint.  
  
Ron and Harry approached the Gryffindor table for breakfast to see that Hermione was already there. Ron was incredibly hungry - as he always was - and did not hesitate to eat. Harry, however, stopped dead when he saw the food.  
  
"Potatoes for breakfast?!" Harry exclaimed, and Ron tried to shush him with his mouth packed with food, which resulted in him spraying food everywhere.  
  
Hermione sighed and said, "Harry, it's eggs and potatoes. They aren't the same potatoes as before."  
  
"How do you know that?" he said, rounding on her.  
  
Hermione pointed at the food. "They were mashed, these aren't."  
  
Harry wasn't convinced. "They could have. *un*-mashed them." he said defensively - and somewhat lamely.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes. "How could they 'unmash' them, Harry?"  
  
Harry squinted his eyes, "Those house elves can do a lot of magic even without wands."  
  
"That is absolutely the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard." Hermione said.  
  
"Heve gotta boin, do." Ron said with a full mouth, chiming into the conversation.  
  
"Swallow first, Ron."  
  
Ron swallowed and said, "Just try it, Harry."  
  
Harry reluctantly tried the potatoes, and then with a rush, flung himself at the table and began to stuff his mouth. Ron laughed and Hermione rolled her eyes.  
  
They heard a faint *hoot* and then masses of owls began to soar into the Great Hall, each of them swooping down to their recipient. An unfamiliar small white and gray speckled owl landed in front of Ron, with a small note tied to his leg. Harry reached out for it, and the owl bit his hand - hard.  
  
Harry snatched back his hand and glared at the tiny owl.  
  
"Bu I neber gib ail." a perplexed Ron said - his words muffled by the food in his mouth. He gave the owl a bite of Harry's potatoes (I was gonna eat that!) and opened the note when the owl flew off.  
  
Ron,  
  
Jamie and I are setting pixies loose in the castle before the holidays. Tell no one. Please contact Fred and George - we don't exactly have the pixies, and we need all the help we can get. Tell them to send them directly to the North Tower at exactly 1:00 am. Meet us there.  
  
Lisa  
  
Ron shoved the note into the pocket of his robes, and stuffed his mouth so he wouldn't have to answer Harry and Hermione's questions.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
12:53 am  
  
Jamie stood patiently outside the Ravenclaw common room - waiting for Lisa. She still hadn't come out. Jamie sighed, used the password Lisa had told her, and entered the common room. *It's certainly a lot more inviting than the Slytherin common room,* she thought. Jamie walked around the couch to sit down. She wasn't tired - it's just that standing that long was slowly draining her fortitude. She was about to sit down, when she finally found Lisa - sleeping on the sofa.  
  
Jamie shook her gently by the shoulders, "Wake up, Lisa." She said, vaguely thinking of how nice it would be to sleep.  
  
Lisa moaned and rolled over.  
  
"Lisa!" Jamie whispered harshly - straining not to raise her voice and wake up anyone else.  
  
Lisa rolled onto her back and propped her self up on her elbows, and pushed the hair out of her face. "What?" she said groggily.  
  
"We have to go NOW!" Jamie stated.  
  
Lisa yawned and sat up completely, and then tried to get up from the couch, stumbling every now and then.  
  
It was taking an eternity - Jamie rolled her eyes and asked, "Am I gonna need to use a Waking Charm?"  
  
Lisa yawned again and shook her head, giving a vague moan that indistinctly resembled a "no", and then stumbled again.  
  
Jamie shook her head and took out her wand. "Antidormus," she muttered.  
  
Lisa yawned once again, shook off the stiffness, and lifted her head - showing her lively blue eyes. She stood up from her previously hunched position. "Come on, what are we waiting for?" she said - in an unnaturally cheerful voice.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Ron had been pretending to sleep for almost an hour - which is a dreadfully challenging thing to do when you, yourself, are already drowsy. He had had to go up to bed when Harry did, or else Harry would probably have waited, and therefore asked where he had gone the next day. Ron couldn't go to the common room either, until he was absolutely sure nobody was down there. The only way he could keep awake, was pinch himself hard when he felt he was falling asleep.  
  
This proved to be exceedingly painful after numerous times. It was 12:53. Ron figured he should probably go down now.  
  
Not long after he got up from his four-poster bed to put on his shoes, he heard Harry's voice say, "Ron, is that you?"  
  
*Doesn't he ever sleep?* Ron thought.  
  
"Er - no." he whispered  
  
"Then who is it?"  
  
Ron sighed, "It's me. Ron."  
  
Harry paused. Ron paused as well - it was a rather perplexing answer considering the last one he gave.  
  
"Where are you going?" he asked after a moment.  
  
"The North t-" Ron began, but then realized Harry would probably ask why he was going to the North Tower. "There's no time to explain, just come."  
  
Harry got up without hesitation - obviously not very tired.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Ron?"  
  
"Lisa?"  
  
"Lisa?"  
  
"Harry?!"  
  
"Jamie?"  
  
"What?"  
  
*Crash.*  
  
"Ouch!"  
  
"George, its Ron!"  
  
"Fred?"  
  
"Yours truly."  
  
"Fred?"  
  
"Harry?"  
  
"George?"  
  
"Ouch! Stop that!"  
  
"Damn!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Wand."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Lumos."  
  
Light illuminated the vast stairway that led up to the top of the North Tower. Apparently, Fred and George had been going down the steps, when Ron and Harry had been going up - with Jamie and Lisa not too far behind. This had not been so obvious before Harry had lit his wand. It was a lucky thing he always kept it with him out of habit.  
  
"How'd you get here?" Lisa asked.  
  
"Broomstick." Fred answered simply.  
  
"So, what are the mad Cornish pixies for?" George asked.  
  
"I'm guessing you're up to no good." Fred added, grinning.  
  
"Brings back some good memories, doesn't it, Fred?" George asked, turning to Fred.  
  
"Indeed, it does." He replied, smiling reminiscently.  
  
"Pixies?" Harry asked, utterly confused about the whole situation.  
  
Fred looked shocked. "Harry! I thought this would have been your idea!"  
  
George shook his head sadly, "Where did we go wrong?"  
  
"Would someone please fill him in?" Fred called out.  
  
Ron said something in Harry's ear, and Harry burst out laughing.  
  
"Who came up with this?" he asked when he finally recovered.  
  
Jamie smiled and laughed. Lisa had her fingers pointed toward her.  
  
"So, where are they?" Ron asked, looking around.  
  
"Oh, the pixies?" Fred asked. George was pointing his right index finger upward. "They're up at the top. We've got about seven cages full of them." he continued.  
  
"Brilliant!" Lisa exclaimed, and ran past Fred and George and up the steps. Everyone else followed.  
  
"So, how are we going to pull this off?" Harry asked when they all finally reached the top of the tower. "Without the pixies attacking us, I mean."  
  
Jamie answered without hesitation, "We need them to be left contained until the morning, so we will be leaving the pixies locked in various-" Jamie stopped when Lisa conjured a map of the entire school in midair. "Go on, Jamie." She prodded encouragingly. So Jamie went on, "-various classrooms positioned throughout the school."  
  
At this, Lisa pointed to the planned areas of release with her wand. Jamie ignored it. "First, in the Divination classroom, since it's closest. Then Charms, Transfiguration, Potions-" Fred gave a loud laugh at that, ".Defense against the Dark Arts, and if we have time, we should probably leave some in the greenhouses."  
  
Lisa continued when Jamie stopped speaking. "So, when the professors get back from breakfast and prepare for their first class, the pixies will be set loose."  
  
Harry nodded, and then asked another question, "How will we get into the classrooms if they're already locked?"  
  
Fred smiled and George spoke. "You honestly don't think we came only to bring the pixies?"  
  
"We brought other things as well." Fred said smugly, and George held up a knife that looked similar to the one Harry got from Sirius a few years back. A key to every lock.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~ 


	6. The Prank Continues

They approached the ladder that ascended to the trapdoor to the Divination room, and Jamie help up a hand. "Wait!" she whispered harshly.  
  
She could sense Professor Trelawney in there. And decided she shouldn't go any further. They could have already been discovered, if Trelawney was being at all receptive.  
  
"We'll have to come later, when Trelawney isn't awake."  
  
"Does she even sleep?" Ron asked.  
  
Lisa shook her head and said, "I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't."  
  
So, they continued to the other classrooms. George's knife worked well, and finally, they had finished in the greenhouses, and were traveling up through the castle back to the tower where the Divination room was. Throughout the castle, everything remained silent - that is until Ron swore loudly.  
  
The offensive phrase made quite an effect on the high stone walls - as it echoed on and on, down the corridor.  
  
"Ron!" Lisa whispered fiercely, her eyes shooting daggers at him.  
  
"One of them bit me!" he whispered in defense. He lifted the cage in his hand, and held it out at arm's length, glaring at it.  
  
Harry stopped dead. "What was that sound?" he asked, not moving.  
  
Fred rolled his eyes, "That was Ron's french echoing through the castle. Honestly, sometimes I worry about-"  
  
"Not that," Harry interrupted. Jamie reached out in her mind for what it might have been. A cat wailed. "That."  
  
"Filch!" Ron whispered in alarm.  
  
Jamie began to run for a place for them to hide. She then turned around, thinking that the cat's wail had come from that direction. In mid-step, however, she heard the cat again, and once again, ran in the other way - retracing her steps. Only then did she notice the door on her left. She wondered why she hadn't seen it before.  
  
They all entered through the door and closed it just as Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat, rounded the corner. Evidently, they had not been spotted, for they didn't hear any shouts of triumph from Mr. Filch.  
  
Inside it was - well, something you wouldn't expect. The walls were high and windowed. The windows revealed the full moon and winter constellations, even though there were no windows to the outside from where they were in the castle. There were exactly six chintz armchairs, a table with a bandage on it, and a rather large bag of pixie feed.  
  
"How convenient." Fred said quietly. "Too convenient." George added. Ron grabbed the bandage and used it for his bitten finger, while Fred fed the pixies - standing back in caution once the task was done. The six of them sat down in each of the six chairs. "What is this place?" Lisa asked. Ron looked around the room with the air of someone having dejavu. Harry only smiled vaguely, "The room of requirement."  
  
Ron gave a soft *Oohhhh* of recognition, and Harry explained. "It's a room that appears in this area whenever it is required, and holds inside whatever you need."  
  
Lisa spoke up, "Well, why didn't you tell us about it? We could have gotten our pixies here, and we wouldn't need Fred and George."  
  
"We resent that!" both Fred and George sounded.  
  
"Well, I couldn't have told you if I didn't know what was going on, now could I?" Harry replied, grinning.  
  
Jamie laughed.  
  
They all quietly left the strange room, and Fred and George said good bye, of course leaving some of their new joke products behind as well. Harry and Ron headed towards the west side of the castle to the Gryffindor common room, while Jamie and Lisa headed east. It didn't matter which way Jamie went - she would be going down the whole way to reach the Slytherin common room.  
  
"That must have been a really good Waking Charm - it won't seem to wear off." Lisa said, and then to her surprise, she yawned.  
  
Jamie looked out one of the eastern windows and smiled, "I can't wait 'till tomorrow morning,"  
  
Lisa nodded, " The look on their faces will be absolutely classic." she said, referring to the professors who currently had pixies in their classrooms.  
  
Jamie shook her head, "Not just that," she said, pointing her finger towards the window she had looked through. *About time,* she thought to herself.  
  
"It's snowing." Lisa squealed.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It had snowed heavily all night. A little too heavily as a matter of fact. By morning, the snow was piled to two feet, and it seemed nearly impossible to get outside. This made the prank all the more disastrous - seeing as neither pixie nor student could leave the castle.  
  
Much to everyone's disappointment, Snape had somehow gotten the pixies out of his classroom, so they still had to go to potions. However, there was one left that Snape simply tried to ignore.  
  
As Jamie was contently stirring her Concealment Potion, she began to notice the remaining pixie flying around her head making odd noises as it darted from spot to spot. She tried to ignore the creature, but it persisted, and then began flying away with her ingredients. Each time, she had to use a summoning charm to get her supplies back. She kept aiming paralyzing spells and immobilizing charms at the pixie, but it dodged each one.  
  
Jamie tried to concentrate back on her work, when she noticed Harry was smiling at her, apparently amused. "What?" she asked. He shook his head, laughing, and then shrugged his shoulders as if saying, *You brought this upon yourself.*  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
When Jamie, Harry and Ron left the classroom and reached the top of the stone stairway that led to the main floor, they saw Dumbledore walking out of the Great Hall. When he noticed them, he smiled and walked over to where they were.  
  
"Very well thought out, if I may say so myself." Dumbledore said, his blue eyes twinkling merrily behind his half moon spectacles.  
  
The three students just stood there, silent and confused.  
  
Dumbledore smiled and went on, "Such a well thought out prank, in fact, that if I didn't know any better, I'd say Fred and George Weasley had a hand in it."  
  
Ron's mouth dropped open, and Harry spoke up, "How did you know that?"  
  
Dumbledore smiled again and said, "Finnigan's shoes told me this morning."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~ 


	7. Snow

Hey! Another chapter! If you like it, then you can jump up and down after you finish reading. If you don't like it, then WHY IN THE WORLD ARE YOU STILL READING?  
  
Ok.  
  
The snow eventually melted, but the cold air remained, and the melted snow turned to ice by the morning of Christmas Eve. The students had the hardest time getting across the ice covered ground all the way to the Hogsmeade station without slipping. Some students had to be levitated to the station merely because they had suffered such a bad fall.  
  
Others tried to avoid the ice by using a melting charm and etching a path in front of them as they walked. So, instead of slipping on the ice, they slipped in the mud.  
  
Fortunately, Harry and Jamie were not among these students. Both of them being orphans - they stayed at school.  
  
Although Harry would have been welcome to join Ron's family for Christmas, Ron's parents were still in the Order, and they thought it best that Harry stay where Dumbledore was - now that Voldemort was out in the open, and active as well.  
  
Harry leaned back on the bookshelf and sighed. He had been here ever since lunch, but he would wait the rest of the day if he had to. He wanted answers, and he knew that Jamie would come to the library. She always did.  
  
He often became sick to his stomach and still felt heavy with the loss of his godfather. Had people known Sirius Black was dead, they would have rejoiced - and gone on with their simple lives knowing that they were safe from insane criminals. Nobody understood the injustice of being killed by those you were accused of following. He had been isolated from his family by betraying evil, and isolated from the world by betraying good. He had been accused of selling out his best friends to their murders. And in his anguish and utter sorrow of his loss, he was spit upon by those who did not understand. Harry did not know what it was like, but he had a vague idea, and it was slowly eating away at him.  
  
But amidst all this, Jamie knew. She knew everything - and Harry had to know how.  
  
At that moment, Jamie entered, and Harry could tell she was slightly taken aback. He decided he would get right to the point.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jamie walked into the library, past Madam Pince, and past the table where the Ravenclaws usually sat. It was completely empty now that the students had gone home for Christmas.  
  
*Not all the students went home,* she reminded herself, and then wondered why she had reminded herself of that. Apparently, her subconscious had known that Harry was waiting for her around the corner, but she, herself, had not been expecting it.  
  
He was leaning against a bookshelf, and his eyes acknowledged her presence, but he did not move. "How did you know about Sirius?" he asked, his piercing green eyes not leaving hers.  
  
"Merry Christmas to you, too." she replied with quiet sarcasm.  
  
He did not smile, however, but only kept silent and waited for the answer to his question. Jamie smiled nervously, "I'm doing good, thanks for asking."  
  
When Harry remained silent, Jamie finally concluded that she couldn't avoid this any longer. He was serious about it, and he probably *had* been waiting for her - for answers.  
  
Jamie looked down, "Dumbledore told me everything three years ago."  
  
Harry narrowed his eyes skeptically, "Why?" he asked.  
  
Jamie closed her eyes and mentally prepared herself for what she was about to say. "Because I had seen Peter Pettigrew."  
  
Harry's mouth dropped open in shock and then he closed it and a look of pure confusion swept across his face.  
  
Jamie shook her head quickly and continued nervously, "No, not like that - I.er, I saw - well, I.I-" Harry remained silent while Jamie stuttered, waiting for her to finish. Jamie needed strength to say what she needed to say. She locked her eyes with his and began to search them.  
  
She needed the confidence he had. She wasn't a Gryffindor - and right now she needed to be. She found it. She continued, more sure of herself this time. "I saw him in my mind." Harry waited for a further explanation to this statement.  
  
"Harry, I'm a seer."  
  
Harry didn't move - in fact, he didn't even respond to this confession. So she continued, with that Gryffindor confidence that was so unfamiliar to her.  
  
"I was spying on the Death Eaters for Dumbledore, and that's when I saw Peter - alive. I was confused, and Dumbledore had no choice but to tell me everything. But this was in our fourth year, before-" Jamie didn't continue - she thought it best she didn't. Harry looked away, and Jamie lost her confidence.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I - er." she attempted pathetically to break the silence.  
  
"I'm sorry." Harry said quietly.  
  
Jamie looked up. "What for?" she asked, almost laughing.  
  
"For asking - it was none of my business." he said - more to himself than to Jamie.  
  
Jamie considered this, and said, "Well, since I told you, I guess now it is." The statement made no sense at all, but it was comforting to Harry. Jamie understood him more than anyone else did, and he could confide in her.  
  
Jamie smiled. She must have been thinking the same thing.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
When the ground finally cleared of ice and mud, and the students could actually see the traces of green grass - it snowed again. Not heavy or blizzard-like. Just a light snow. Somehow it brightened everyone's spirits when they came back to Hogwarts and everything was white - despite all the darkness outside the school.  
  
Ron, Hermione, Jamie and Harry were all walking through the snow - with no clear destination. It was the last day that they didn't have classes - and there was nothing better to do than just walk. Ron was grinning mischieviously - which always proved to be a bad sign.  
  
He yawned - stretching his arms up - and then rested one arm around Hermione's shoulder. Jamie choked back a laugh. Although Ron was going out with Lisa Turpin, he was still torn between the two girls. The funny thing was how casual he was about it.  
  
Hermione glanced at the arm on her shoulder, and then eyed Ron suspiciously. But Ron only smiled.  
  
Only a few moments later, Hermione screamed when Ron had stuffed snow down the back of her robes. She hit him square in the face with a large snow ball that she, evidently, had had in her hand the whole time. Ron darted away and grabbed a massive amount of snow in his hands, and launched it at Hermione - who ducked just in time for the snowball to fly over her and right onto Harry.  
  
Harry dropped down, grabbed an even larger snowball, and launched it at Ron - who ducked just in time for the snowball to fly over him and right onto Jamie.  
  
Harry paused, afraid of what she might do now. Exactly *what* he was afraid of, he was not quite sure.  
  
But Jamie only smiled - which caused Harry to become even more afraid. Before he could react or defend himself, he had a massive amount of snow in his face. Ron and Hermione were already having a snowball fight of their own, and it was just as brutal.  
  
Harry went to grab more snow, but slipped on a patch of ice. It was a rather painful fall. Jamie walked over, laughing, and extended her hand to help him up.  
  
Harry smiled, took her hand, and pulled her down with him. She cried out in surprise and without hesitation, grabbed a handful of snow and shoved it at him. They were dreadfully cold by now, but laughing hard nonetheless.  
  
"We're getting nowhere." Harry said, still laughing.  
  
"Truce?" Jamie asked, extending her hand.  
  
Harry took her hand, shook it, and then, on impulse, brushed the snow out of her hair. Who knows why - even Harry didn't know why he did it. (*gasp* not even the author knows why he did it.)  
  
They stood up, brushed themselves off, and then Harry turned to Jamie and said, "Which one of them should we gang up on?"  
  
Jamie grinned, "Both." 


	8. A Murder in Blood

Author's note: THANK YOU FOR READING! It makes me all teary-eyed and stuff. *sniff* ok. this is where it gets all dark and stuff. ok, ill shut up.  
  
Jamie walked swiftly through the Slytherin common room, drowning out the rude comments and snide remarks. She ran up to her dormitory, and threw herself onto her four-poster bed - desperately hoping she would be asleep by the time the other girls came up for bed. This wouldn't be very difficult because she was already extremely tired.  
  
Sleep didn't come right away, and thoughts about her family crept into Jamie's mind. She wanted to see them. She closed her eyes. Indistinct voices traveling over the distance of time gradually became more clear - and before she knew it, Jamie could hear what they were saying.  
  
"Where are you going?" asked her mother in her always smiling voice.  
  
"The school. I'm going to see if I can get that teaching job." said an unfamiliar man's voice. Jamie strained her eyes to look at him, but couldn't make out any features or details. He was a blur - that was all. Jamie was very frustrated about this. She had been hoping to see her stepfather.  
  
"All right," Jamie's mother said, giving the man a brief kiss. "Do you think you could take Jamie?" A small girl standing beside her beamed and started jumping up and down. "I think she should be properly introduced to the castle." she added, smiling at the small girl.  
  
The girl's brown eyes widened, "I'm going to go to school at a castle?" The little girl's mother smiled and said, "Yes, but it will be quite a few years before you actually go to school there." The little girl frowned, and her mother turned back to the man. "I'll stay here with the baby. Say hello to the headmaster for me."  
  
"I will, Becca." he said, giving her a gentle kiss before grabbing the little girl and lifting her up onto his shoulders. The girl giggled and waved back at her mother. "Bye, momma!"  
  
Jamie's mother smiled and waved.  
  
She called back, "I love you!"  
  
The man and the little girl left out the door. The girl's mother frowned, put a hand to her mouth, and then shook whatever she was thinking out of her mind, and turned around to hush the baby in the cradle behind her who had started to cry.  
  
The baby's cries faded, and Jamie - in her dormitory - lost the vision as she drifted off to sleep.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Her sleep was not without dreams. It was so strangely real, that Jamie knew it had once happened. She was standing in a circular stone room - years ago. Jamie knew she had been in this room before, but at the time, this had been her first visit to wherever she was. She was not sure how old she was, but she kept thinking about ice cream, so she supposed she was probably very young. She was aware of two men talking calmly in the room.  
  
The walls of the room faded and swirled as Jamie's vision was shifted to her mother - screaming. (Author's note: there's double meaning in there!)  
  
A cruel voice rose above the screaming and yelled, "You left me - and you took my daughter with you. She's my blood!"  
  
Jamie could see this man just fine - except for he had his back to her, and was wearing a long hooded cloak. The woman yelled through her tears, "She was never yours! I was never yours!" The man advanced on her and raised his wand - pointing it at her heart.  
  
"I have no use for you anymore." he said coldly.  
  
Jamie woke up with the late January sun shining down on her face. The Slytherin girls around her, fortunately, had not woken up yet. Jamie was still tired, but she knew she would never get back to sleep.  
  
She did not want to go back to sleep - for the chance of her dream continuing was very disturbing. She knew the next words in that dream were going to be Avada Kadavra, and Jamie would have watched her mother die. She was glad that it had stopped where it had.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jamie entered the Great Hall for breakfast slightly dazed. She frowned when she looked over at the Ravenclaw table and saw that Lisa wasn't there.  
  
"Jamie!" came Lisa's voice from Jamie's right. She looked over to where the voice had come from to see that Lisa was sitting at the Gryffindor table, next to Ron. Hermione didn't seem too happy about it, but brightened when she saw Jamie.  
  
"Sit over here!" she called, and scooted over as Jamie walked over to the table.  
  
Everyone in Gryffindor was laughing and chatting - completely unaware that Jamie had just witnessed murder.  
  
"What's wrong?" Harry asked, concerned at the awfully blank look on Jamie's face.  
  
Jamie looked over to see his eyes were searching her face for a sign of what might have happened to make her so quiet. He had experienced so much death and anguish in his life - he understood, and was the only one who noticed. He must have recognized the look on her face as one he had often worn.  
  
And yet, Jamie didn't want to pour out her troubles when Harry had so many of his own problems to deal with. She forced a smile after a moment's hesitation. "I'm fine." she said, and then felt guilty for lying to him when he knew perfectly well she wasn't fine.  
  
Harry sighed and nodded.  
  
The owls came in to bring the morning post, and, as usual, Hermione received her subscribed Daily Prophet. She gave a knut to the owl, and scanned the front page as the messenger took off.  
  
She gasped and began to read out loud, "Death Eater attack on a muggle town has turned the wizarding world upside down. Many bore witness to the attack, but could not describe any of the attackers."  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes, "Of course, because they were all wearing masks." She continued,  
  
"Meanwhile numerous prisoners are constantly escaping Azkaban with a suspiciously small effort, and the Ministry still can give no explanation as to the behavior of the most recently careless dementors who have often been spotted leaving Azkaban and going after innocent wizard and muggle families alike. The Ministry is currently working very hard with erasing muggle witness's memories after getting all the information possible about the aforementioned events."  
  
Lisa shook her head. "Something has to happen about this - about You-Know- Who - and soon."  
  
At this statement, Harry dropped his fork and gave a loud cough. *Of course,* Jamie thought. *He hasn't told them.*  
  
With a stab of guilt, Jamie realized that maybe if Harry didn't want anyone to know - he didn't want her to know either. Of course, the matter of openly discussing a prophesied murder to his friends must have been slightly alarming, and therefore, avoided.  
  
Nevertheless, Jamie knew - she knew a lot of things, and this just happened to be one of them. It's not as if she welcomed these insights into other people's lives - they just came. Jamie had learned to shut out many irrelevant things, but some things resonated in people's minds so strongly, that she just wasn't strong enough to shut them out.  
  
Harry remained silent the rest of breakfast, and Jamie noticed that he didn't eat anything either. Guilt and concern made it just as difficult for her to eat.  
  
But since this morning a new guilt had stirred in Jamie's mind as she dwelled on her dream of her mother. The guilt came from the fact that her mother had been killed by her father because of her. Because of he blood.  
  
Questions arose about what kind of a person would do that to someone who had once been their wife? And also, an even more confusing question on why Jamie's mother had married a person like that. There were also questions that were more intriguing than mysterious - where was her stepfather in all of this? And did he even die like Dumbledore had said? *Why couldn't Jamie see him?* But through all of this, guilt remained and stood out as a bitter reminder of the words, "she's my blood." 


	9. The Beginning

The library was always quiet - it was a well known rule in all libraries. Because of its continual peace, it was the ideal place for a student with weighing thoughts on their mind to take refuge. Jamie sat alone at an empty table with her Charms book in front of her - unopened. There really was nowhere else to go.  
  
Harry entered the library quietly, and without a word, took the seat next to Jamie. He remained quiet, and Jamie wondered if he was at all convinced that she was fine. Obviously, he hadn't been convinced since he sought her out.  
  
After a few eternally prolonged minutes, Harry finally spoke, "You can't be fine if you felt you had to hide in the library." he said, looking at her.  
  
Jamie didn't look up, and decided that she could tell him - he knew she was an orphan, too. "I saw my parents."  
  
Harry inhaled sharply, "You can see them?" he asked with a pained look on his face.  
  
Jamie nodded her head.  
  
"Isn't that a good thing?" he asked sadly.  
  
Jamie shook her head.  
  
Harry hesitated for a moment in confusion, and then when the thought finally struck him, he took a deep breath, and nodded his head in understanding.  
  
Jamie began to chip away at the desk with her fingernails as she considered telling him more. "They were killed. My mother and my f- and my stepfather."  
  
Harry gave a small nod, and much to Jamie's relief, didn't ask about Jamie's father. "Was it a Death Eater?"  
  
Jamie exhaled - her breath shaking from her anger. She considered this question carefully. "Actually, it was." (*the author gasps*)  
  
With a little bit of thought, Jamie decided to add a little more - lowering her voice, "But not on Voldemort's orders." she added bitterly.  
  
Harry was somewhat relieved she used his name. Not many did, and he would get slightly annoyed when people refused to say it. Especially when they had less to fear than Harry did. They hadn't seen him, and they weren't being sought out by him. But despite this, they still hid in fear while there was no reason to. Harry was the one who should be afraid. He had to kill or be killed - and still, he said the name.  
  
Jamie finally looked up from her empty gaze at the desk in front of her. "I'm sorry. I know that you have to defeat him on your own, and I. I just can't imagine - I. I'm just so sorry." she whispered, not really sure what she was saying.  
  
Harry closed his eyes and nodded.  
  
Jamie was still trying to find out what in the world she was trying to say. "I wish I wasn't so useless." she whispered. She had to whisper since anyone could be listening.  
  
Harry shook his head. "No, you don't" he whispered back.  
  
Jamie considered this. Was she really lucky that she didn't have to fight the Dark Lord herself? "You shouldn't have to do this by yourself. I know that you have to do this alone and everything. But really, I don't feel lucky - or relieved for that matter, because I just can't in any clear conscience let myself feel relieved that *you* have to take on this burden."  
  
Harry looked into her eyes and said quietly, "You shouldn't feel guilty because it isn't your fault."  
  
"It isn't yours, either." Jamie wasn't sure what she meant by this, and had no idea why she said it.  
  
Harry looked down as he considered this. Apparently, it had made somewhat of an impact on him. Jamie considered the idea that maybe the reason she had said this was because it was exactly what he needed to hear. She hoped that that was the case.  
  
Harry looked back up and glanced left and right before speaking. "I'm sick of having to whisper." he whispered. "Come on, we can talk outside."  
  
Jamie nodded.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The sun was setting, but you couldn't see the colors behind the dull gray overcast. It was absurdly cold, and Jamie was starting to wish she had brought her coat - or at least that they had stayed in the warm library.  
  
It was completely empty outside - probably because everyone was at dinner. Neither Harry nor Jamie were very hungry. They walked along in the snow in silence. both lost in their own thoughts.  
  
After a while of just walking, Harry turned to Jamie and asked, "What was your mother like?"  
  
Jamie smiled reminiscently and looked back in her mind for the image. "I have her brown hair, and her brown eyes." she strained harder to see her mother. ".and the same stupid freckles." she added with a grin.  
  
Harry laughed, "I like your freckles."  
  
Jamie smiled awkwardly, "I don't think they'll ever go away, though." she thought out loud miserably.  
  
Harry frowned, "Why should they? They were your mother's, after all. "  
  
Jamie smiled as she considered this point of view. She nodded, amazed at how he always kept a positive outlook on things. *Heck,* she thought, *he keeps a positive outlook on his LIFE - and that's saying something.*  
  
She smiled at him, and looked into his eyes. Immediately she saw her mistake. They were so warm, and happy, and friendly, and. and so captivating. She found she couldn't look away.  
  
Harry was numbly aware they had stopped walking - but he didn't know why. He couldn't see anything around him - all he could see was her warm face, and her eyes - locked on his.  
  
She was so close, he could just reach out and touch her cheek, but knew he didn't have the right to. She shivered, and Harry - quite unaware of himself - pressed his lips against hers. It was innocent enough, and yet, so powerful.  
  
Jamie caught a fleeting vision of Harry running his hand along his brand new Firebolt - just as he ran his hand through her hair. Another brief memory came to her of Harry soaring through the air - at the moment they pulled apart.  
  
The last of these unfamiliar memories came to Jamie as one of Harry grabbing the golden snitch, winning the quidditch cup - and at the same moment, Harry smiled and grabbed Jamie's hand. They walked along through the castle grounds - all their troubles forgotten.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jamie walked into the Slytherin common room in high spirits. Not even the Slytherins could get her down today. *Not a chance.*  
  
Pansy Parkinson sneered, "Don't even try to talk to us, you filth."  
  
Jamie kept smiling.  
  
Milicent Bulstrode stepped up, her ugly face inches away from Jamie's, "I don't like the looks of this smirk. I'd say she hasn't gotten the message that she isn't welcome here."  
  
Another Slytherin - boy or girl, she couldn't tell - muttered furiously something about blood. Of course it was always about blood to them.  
  
Jamie merely walked past them - vaguely wondering if they had said something. As pointed out before, nothing could make Jamie come down from her cloud at all today. She was completely surrounded by an untouchable joy that could not be broken so easily.  
  
She lay back in her bed - without changing her clothes - wondering whether Harry liked her better than quidditch. It was a rather stupid thought, but it was becoming somewhat of a worry to her - she couldn't tell why. She never worried about little things like this - but lately, all that would enter her mind was Harry. nothing else.  
  
She quickly fell asleep, and for once, she had no dreams. She didn't have any life-changing prophecies or foreseen events. No visions of the past, or of the future for that matter. It was a peacefull, dreamless sleep - and Jamie was incredibly grateful for it.  
  
When she awoke, she looked around her to see that it was early - the sun had just risen. It was the first of February. Not necessarily a holiday, but a day just like any other. Jamie wished she could be like February first. Simple, passing, forgotten but still appreciated. She was sick of being the fourth of july. She was sick of her life going rapidly by like fireworks - every moment being so significant that nothing stood out. Today was February the first, and today Jamie would celebrate February the first. A simple day.  
  
*She should be let out of school for this, too,* she thought with a grin. *After all, it was a holiday.*  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Breakfast smelled better than it ever had. Lisa was - once again - sitting next to Ron at the Gryffindor table. The amusing thing was that Hermione was seated on Ron's other side - desperately trying to get more attention than Lisa was from Ron.  
  
Jamie thought it was funny. She sat next to Harry. He politely passed her a plate of eggs (.and sausages, and bacon, and toast, and orange juice, and pancakes.)  
  
*A little too polite.* Jamie thought. This, as did everything else in the world, also appeared funny to Jamie. Her spirits lifted even more - if it were at all possible.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~ 


	10. The Better One

I AM FOREVER IN YOUR DEBT IF YOU REVIEW. (  
  
Disclaimer: I love disclaimers. They remind me that I'm not a real author. Isn't that wonderful? (sorry, im just being incredibly sarcastic today.) SO! This is not my story. I own nothing. All I own is this computer that I type on, and even that isn't mine. So, I guess the point I'm trying to make is that I shouldn't get full credit for this story. If it weren't for JK Rowling, I wouldn't be writing. Wow! Don't I feel important now! Of, course the ideas and everything is mine (plus finnagan's shoes) : D  
  
Now you can read.  
  
"You won't believe what Ron said to me today." Lisa was walking along with Jamie in the Entrance Hall - carrying a one-sided conversation.  
  
Jamie wasn't exactly aware of what Lisa was telling her. She caught a few bits and pieces, though. She was dimly aware of the fact that Lisa had mentioned Harry's name seven times now. not that she was counting, of course.  
  
Jamie and Lisa had stopped at the stairs that led underneath the castle when Jamie realized that Lisa had asked her a question.  
  
She took a guess at the answer. "Yeah, I might." She said uncertainly. Lisa gave her a curious look.  
  
"Jamie, I just asked you when the next Hogsmeade visit was, and you said, 'Yeah, I might.'" she said, sarcastically imitating Jamie's distracted voice. "Are you sure you're okay?"  
  
Jamie smiled, "I'm sure."  
  
Lisa gave Jamie a skeptical look. "All right. but do you know when the next Hogsmeade visit is?" she repeated.  
  
Jamie nodded.  
  
"When?"  
  
Jamie smiled vaguely. "Valentines Day."  
  
She waved and headed down the steps to the Slytherin common room.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
As Jamie walked in, Draco Malfoy remained seated in his emerald green armchair by the fire, but quietly brought out his wand and made her book bag rip at the seems.  
  
Jamie gave him a glare, and - ignoring her books - brought out her wand. "Think you're pretty clever, do you?"  
  
She was incredibly surprised with herself.  
  
Draco motioned his hand towards her scattered books. "Obviously a lot more clever than you."  
  
Jamie clenched her fists. "Look, I think we both agree that I don't belong in this house - but there is an obvious reason why I'm here." She let out a long shaky breath and added bitterly, "Not that I'm at all proud of it."  
  
Draco narrowed his eyes, his face inches from Jamie's. "You may have some of the purest blood of all of us, but that doesn't make you like us. No matter how much you try, you'll never be like me."  
  
Jamie forgot about her fists, and clenched her teeth instead. She could feel him exhaling hatred in his breath, and it was not even close to what Jamie was feeling now. There was no curse she could inflict on him that would make her satisfied. She would always hate him. His blood. Herself.  
  
Inside she was screaming - even the Ravenclaw side that was usually rational about these things - was screaming inside her head. But on the outside she was deathly silent, without a muscle moving.  
  
At Jamie's lack of response, Draco decided to add one more thing - this time with a horrible smile playing on his lips. "I've always been the better one."  
  
A tear trickled down Jamie's cheek. She banished her books to her dormitory, and fled.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jamie decided wandering aimlessly would get her into trouble, so instead she headed for the Entrance Hall, and went outside. She immediately spotted Harry, Ron and Hermione sitting in the shade of a large tree by the lake.  
  
She wiped her mind of any residual anger, and smiled happily. She had gotten very good at pretending.  
  
"Hi." was all she said. It was enough for them. She inconspicuously sat next to Harry. He smiled, and Jamie stopped breathing. When Harry looked away, she found her breath again. *If I keep doing that, I'll end up dead by the end of the school year,* she thought to herself.  
  
Hermione was tirelessly helping Ron understand a fairly complex spell, and Harry was playing with a snitch.  
  
Jamie noticed the snitch in Harry's hand. "Where'd you get that?" she asked smiling.  
  
Harry turned around, but it wasn't Harry. It looked like him, but his face was slightly different. He looked younger, like he was in his fifth year. And his eyes. His eyes were brown.  
  
"Nicked it." he said casually.  
  
Ron and Hermione were gone. There were different people around. There was a plump, mousy-haired boy who looked way too excited, and a rather handsome looking guy with black hair that fell across his eyes. All the girls were goggling at him. But Jamie was sure there was another person around - someone significant. Someone she knew. How could she know anyone *here?*  
  
The unfamiliar people disappeared, and Harry was sitting next to Jamie again. Ron and Hermione were back, too.  
  
"Where'd I get what?" he asked grinning. There was nothing in his hands except a red and gold quill.  
  
"Errr. that." she replied, pointing at the Gryffindor quill.  
  
"Hogsmeade. Want one?"  
  
"No thanks, That's okay."  
  
"Oh, come on. I'll buy you one."  
  
"No, really. It's-"  
  
"By the way, do you know when the next Hogsmeade visit is?"  
  
"The fourteenth." she answered cautiously. She wanted him to be the one to bring it up. That way - no pressure at all.  
  
"The fourteenth, isn't that-"  
  
Jamie cut him off with a nod and a smile.  
  
Harry smiled, too.  
  
*Who needs words, anyway?* 


	11. The Fourteenth

Jamie managed to get through the weeks by making herself invisible every time she needed to go in the common room. Nobody had caught on yet. Actually it was quite an experience to walk into a room full of Slytherins and get absolutely no response.  
  
It was definitely an improvement.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The morning of February fourteenth dawned clear and bright. Ron, Hermione, and Harry were walking on the path to Hogsmeade along with a great number of other students.  
  
Harry was constantly looking around, but couldn't seem to find Jamie yet.  
  
"I think I'll buy something. I have to buy something." Ron said, thinking hard on what he should buy.  
  
Hermione sighed, "Aren't you going to be with Lisa?"  
  
Ron shook his head, "I guess not, she never said anything about it."  
  
Hermione looked up at Ron, "Are you at least going to buy her something?"  
  
"What, do you want me to?"  
  
Hermione looked ahead of her, and shook her head. Ron suddenly beamed out of nowhere, "Hey, Harry! I heard they had this new broom at Quality Quidditch, and they said it's supposed to rival the Firebolt, or something."  
  
Harry shook his head and smiled, "Nothing's better than my Firebolt."  
  
Ron laughed, "Do you wanna check it out today?" "Y-" Harry had begun to nod his head, but stopped himself.  
  
"Actually.er. I'm sorta meeting someone."  
  
Ron frowned, but Hermione smiled. "Does this have anything to do with the fact that it's Valentine's Day?" she asked.  
  
Ron was hanging on Harry's every word - apparently fascinated with his personal life.  
  
"Maybe."  
  
Ron smiled broadly. "Who is it, may I ask?"  
  
Hermione turned to Ron, "Ron! That's absolutely none of your business."  
  
Ron took the defense, "It was you who brought it up." He countered.  
  
Hermione humphed and stopped arguing.  
  
Harry smiled. Jamie was right - they were funny to listen to. "I'll meet you in The Three Broomsticks at.. two."  
  
Ron was about to say something but Hermione cut him off. "Okay, Harry." She said cheerfully. She waved, grabbed Ron by the wrist and dragged him off with her.  
  
Not long after, Harry spotted Jamie at the gates to Hogsmeade. She smiled and walked over to him. They started walking and Harry's hand found hers.  
  
"Where are we going?" he asked.  
  
"I don't know. Where do you want to go?"  
  
Harry considered this for a moment. "Anywhere but Madam Puddifoot's." he answered seriously.  
  
Jamie didn't understand why not, but smiled anyway.  
  
"Wasn't planning on it." She laid her head on Harry's shoulder, and Harry relaxed.  
  
As long as he never had to go to that awful place again.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Harry came into The Three Broomsticks with a happy kind of dazed look on his face.  
  
"Hey Harry!" Ron called out from his table where Hermione and Lisa sat next to him. "Back already?"  
  
Harry promised himself that he would later point out to Ron that he was with two girls on Valentine's Day.  
  
Hermione spoke, "Are you going to tell us who this girl is already?"  
  
Ron frowned, "I thought you said it was none of our business."  
  
"Oh hush, Ron."  
  
Lisa was listening with rapt attention. "What girl?" she asked, excited.  
  
"Exactly what I was wondering." Hermione pointed out.  
  
Ron noticed the look on Harry's face and unexpectedly gave a loud laugh. "She kissed you, didn't she?"  
  
Harry wasn't sure how to respond to this, but before he could, Hermione looked at Ron knowingly and said, "Actually, I think he kissed her."  
  
"Way to go, Harry!" Ron said loudly, and Hermione tried to shush him, but laughing at the same time.  
  
"Bet she's a Hufflepuff. I always imagined Harry with a Hufflepuff." Ron said to Hermione.  
  
Harry finally found his voice, "Actually, she's not a Hufflepuff."  
  
Ron considered this, then said, "Well, the Ravenclaws are smarter anyway." Lisa smiled at Ron and Ron smiled back. Hermione scowled.  
  
Harry was about to answer, but Ron cut him off. "Hey, is it Jamie?" Lisa turned to Ron and said, "Actually, Jamie isn't in Ravenclaw."  
  
"Really?" Ron said curiously.  
  
Harry sighed. "She's not a Ravenclaw either, but-"  
  
"Oh, please don't tell me she's a Gryffindor!" Hermione interjected, looking around as if to find her.  
  
"Not exactly." Harry replied slowly.  
  
Lisa gave him a questioning look and Ron said, "She does go to this school, doesn't she?"  
  
Harry got tired of dodging the answer, and got right to the point. "She's in Slytherin."  
  
Ron's eyes widened in shock, but Lisa only got further excited. She knew who it was, now - but didn't say anything.  
  
Hermione's jaw dropped, "A Slytherin girl kissed you?" she exclaimed, thoroughly disgusted. This irritated Harry slightly.  
  
Ron interrupted, "Actually, he kissed her, remember?"  
  
Harry's irritation was building more and more. "How would you know that?"  
  
"So you did kiss her!" Ron said triumphantly, and then frowned in disgust. "eck.slytherin."  
  
Harry was well past angry by now. "Yes, I did kiss her, but I don't see how it's any of your business." Silence.  
  
"And by the way, it was Jamie."  
  
Hermione's mouth was wide open, Ron looked utterly baffled, but Lisa only beamed. "Yay! I knew it!" she squealed, as she ran out the door.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Lisa found Jamie in the Magical Menagerie, contently playing with a kitten.  
  
Lisa ran up to her, took the kitten from Jamie's hands (AN: gently, of course - she not an animal abuser for crying out loud)  
  
"Guess what I heard from Harry just now."  
  
Jamie felt slightly light-headed at the sound of the name, but reluctantly shook it off. She smiled. "It's about time you figured it out - I was beginning to worry."  
  
Lisa rolled her eyes, "Why didn't you tell me?" she exclaimed.  
  
"You never asked." she answered simply, and took back the kitten, and began petting it - grinning broadly to herself.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~ 


	12. Bacon

Harry and Jamie entered the Great Hall - hand in hand. Much to Jamie's relief, Tom seemed happy for her. The Slytherins were scowling and muttering awful insults under their breath. The entire Gryffindor table broke into applause. They had always been odd like that.  
  
Jamie smiled. Gryffindors could always make her smile.  
  
They sat down at the Gryffindor table, along with Hermione, Ron, and Lisa.  
  
Lisa was strangely quiet this morning. She didn't sit next to Ron either. This messed everything up. Lisa sat near to Harry because she assumed Jamie would be sitting between her and Harry. But Hermione had assumed Lisa would sit next to Ron, so she also sat next to Harry. Harry had girls on either side of him, and so Jamie sat next to Ron.  
  
It was about this time Lisa said goodbye to Jamie and walked over to the Ravenclaw table. She then sat next to Tom, who smiled. Ron scowled, and Hermione beamed. Ron scowled at Hermione for smiling, and Harry smiled because he thought this was all funny. Both Ron and Hermione glared at Harry for smiling at all.  
  
Emotions were high and yet no one had said anything at all. Jamie thought it was funny as well, but didn't dare interrupt the silent conversation - or argument by the looks of it.  
  
"Does anyone want bacon?" Jamie asked sweetly.  
  
"Sure." Both Ron and Hermione had chimed in at the same time.  
  
"No, go ahead." Hermione said in a sarcastically polite voice.  
  
"After you." Ron replied with a significant finality in his voice.  
  
"I said go ahead." Hermione persisted, her eyes shooting daggers.  
  
"Fine then, I will." Ron snapped.  
  
Hermione folded her arms and quickly looked away.  
  
"What, do you want some?" Ron asked harshly.  
  
"Well, not anymore!"  
  
"Oh, and I suppose that's my fault!"  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"Can I have some bacon?" Harry interrupted tentatively.  
  
"NO!" they both yelled in unison.  
  
"Oh, so you're being selfish now, is that it?"  
  
"Who said I was selfish?"  
  
"You wouldn't let Harry have any bacon!"  
  
"You wouldn't let him have any either!"  
  
"I offered you some!"  
  
"Oh, and that's supposed to make a difference?"  
  
"Well, maybe if you weren't so blind, you'd see that I was trying to be considerate!"  
  
"Considerate? You give Lisa the cold shoulder, and you say now that you're trying to be considerate?"  
  
"She's the one who ignored me!"  
  
"Oh, so you're gonna blame this on her now!"  
  
"You brought her into this!"  
  
"So, now you're gonna blame ME!?"  
  
"I don't see what my girlfriend has to do with any of this!"  
  
"She walked away, and you didn't stop her!"  
  
"Are you saying it's my fault she left the table?"  
  
"Maybe I am!"  
  
"Yes, well, maybe I did. Just proof that I was trying to be considerate!"  
  
"To who?!"  
  
"You!"  
  
At this point, Jamie couldn't hear herself think - the only clear thought she could hear was to make this stop! She grabbed the plate of bacon they were both holding, scooped off all the bacon onto her own plate, and handed the now empty plate back to them.  
  
"If you really want bacon, ask the Hufflepuffs, they have plenty."  
  
Harry smiled and forked a piece of bacon from Jamie's plate onto his own. Jamie looked down at her plate piled with bacon. She wasn't sure she could actually eat it all. She forked two more pieces onto Harry's plate, and he smiled, and kissed her cheek before eating.  
  
AN: well, that was short, I know, but the next one will be longer and guess what happens??? AHHHHHHH!!! I CANT TELL YOU! HA! so just. READ IT! ( 


	13. Long Lost Daughter

As students stood up to leave, Ron and Hermione went separate ways. Hermione went left, when Ron when right. Little did Ron know, right was the long way around to the doors.  
  
Harry and Jamie passed through the doors to the Entrance Hall behind the rest of the students. Harry walked with Jamie down to the dark stone hallways that led to the Slytherin common room. Jamie guessed Harry just wanted to walk her down there. (Author's note: awwwww, how sweet!)  
  
They passed by Draco Malfoy, who was lazily leaning against a stone pillar. After Jamie had taken a few steps past him, she stopped and said, "I want my wand back Draco."  
  
Draco stopped leaning against the pillar, and walked around to face Jamie. "What makes you think I have your wand?"  
  
Harry was getting a little nervous and went to grab his own wand - only to see it wasn't there either. Jamie had known this before Harry had. "And give back Harry's, too."  
  
"Why in the world would you think I had your wands?"  
  
"Because they are both in your left pocket, and you summoned them while we were walking by."  
  
Draco grinned evilly, "While you were walking by. my, my, my. a Parseltongue and the long lost daughter of a death-eater."  
  
"Shut up, Malfoy." Harry warned, although he did not know what Draco had meant.  
  
Draco turned to Harry and then back to Jamie. "You mean you haven't told him the story?"  
  
"Shut up, Malfoy!" Jamie warned as well, not wanting him to continue at all, ever.  
  
Draco's eyes were shining with mirth and mischief, "You can shut up, too.Malfoy. Before me. You did come first, after all."  
  
Harry didn't care if he didn't have his wand, he would use his fists if he had to. Last time he had felt this angry, he had ended up banned from quidditch. He swore that, for Jamie, he would do it all again.  
  
He would beat that smirk right off Malfoy's face. Before he knew it, he was pretty close to just that. He swung his fist into Draco's stomach, and then felt the sharp burn of knuckles grazing his face.  
  
He was also aware of hands on his shoulders. Soft hands. Jamie was still there.  
  
"Potter! Malfoy!"  
  
Harry stopped and turned around to see not just Jamie, but also Professor McGonagall as well.  
  
It was then he finally realized he had blood on his fists.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
McGonagall was leading the three down numerous hallways. Harry noticed, that, as they turned corners, his vision blurred and he wasn't sure if he had just gone left or right. *Malfoy hits hard when he means it,* Harry thought.  
  
Jamie reached out and touched the spot right above Harry's left eye that had started to swell. He winced slightly, and Jamie looked worried. Harry gave her a small smile that clearly said it didn't hurt that bad. But it did.  
  
Harry's smile broadened as he brought out two wands from his pocket, and handed one to Jamie. She shook her head slightly, and pocketed her wand. Somewhere in the middle of that fight, Harry had remembered about their wands.  
  
He'd had rational thought in the middle of beating someone up. Now that was hard to swallow. She shook her head again, smiling slightly.  
  
Her smile faltered completely when she saw the stone gargoyle ahead of them. When they entered Dumbledore's office, Jamie immediately looked up at the walls. The stone circular walls. Where these the same walls she had seen in her dream only two weeks ago?  
  
Dumbledore began to smile when he saw who had come in, but frowned instantly the moment he saw the situation. "What is the meaning of this, Minerva? What happened here?"  
  
McGonagall looked sternly at Harry and Draco, and turned away to address Dumbledore. "These two have started a bit of fight, as they have numerous times before."  
  
"I would expect nothing more from Mr. Potter." came a new voice, a cold voice. Jamie's head snapped around to see the ugly face of Severus Snape looking past her - and at Harry.  
  
Dumbledore raised a hand, "Now, Severus, no need to get biased here. Now, would someone kindly explain what happened to cause this?"  
  
Harry spoke up immediately. "Malfoy took both of our wands without our- my knowing, and we were defenseless. Then he. well, he-" Harry faltered, not exactly sure what Draco had said.  
  
Jamie continued with a meaningful look at Dumbledore, "He tried to reveal information about me I would desire to remain hidden." she said, trying to sound business-like, without revealing too much.  
  
A pained look crossed Dumbledore's face - Jamie guessed he was remembering something. Something dreadfully painful to remember. He nodded slowly - understanding perfectly what Jamie meant.  
  
Harry was glancing alternately between Jamie and Dumbledore, and shooting occasional glares towards Malfoy.  
  
"The two of you will not be expelled - mainly because this is your final year at Hogwarts. Also, due to the circumstances, I may have to waver in my severity of punishment. You will both receive three week's detention - starting now. Miss Waters, you may leave."  
  
Jamie nodded, squeezed Harry's hand, and left the office, not even taking the time to acknowledge the existence of Draco Malfoy. He wasn't even worth a glare. She wished he wasn't there, so she would act like he wasn't there.  
  
But all the while. the same three words that had haunted her dreams were pervading her thoughts still. She's my blood.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
But through it all, four more words would counter this haunting phrase. Four comforting words. The words of her mother. She was never yours.  
  
AN: DUN DUN DUN.. Thanks you guys SO MUCH for reading (and reviewing I hope?)  
  
HEY! Guess what? The sequel I have already started, and it's the story of Jamie's parents and the marauders. It's turning out to be longer than I thought it would be. I am taking every single detail about that time period from canon and putting it in there so it will be long, but what I hope is accurate. It will span from the marauders' seventh year to about a year and a half after the potters' death. I will have an epilogue of some sorts that will span until the end of THIS book, except it's Lupin's POV. Why Lupin you ask? Well, to be honest, he will later on have a very big role in THIS story. Ok. Big note, there. Im done. 


	14. In Greenhouse Seven

Harry came into the Great Hall for lunch fully healed, but somewhat drained. Detention must have gone late.  
  
Hermione kicked Ron when Harry sat down, and Ron looked up. "Where were you? You didn't come back to the common room at all!" Hermione demanded. Ron just nodded - muted by the food in his mouth.  
  
"Detention." he replied simply, as if it were no matter.  
  
Ron swallowed, "For what?"  
  
"Er. fight."  
  
"With who?" Ron asked, excited now.  
  
"Malfoy." He answered, narrowing his eyes.  
  
"You didn't come to breakfast either!" Hermione interjected.  
  
"I had it in the hospital wing."  
  
Ron frowned, "Was it really that bad of a fight?"  
  
"I don't know, but Malfoy got it worse than I did. He's still healing."  
  
Ron smiled, and Hermione elbowed him. "What did he do anyways?"  
  
Harry looked uncertainly to Jamie, "Well, he said.er-"  
  
"Nothing." Jamie said conclusively.  
  
Hermione and Ron looked at each other, and Ron shrugged. Harry, however, took his spaghetti noodles, and arranged them to form the word 'what' on his plate. Jamie shook her head.  
  
"Not with everyone around." she whispered.  
  
Harry just looked stunned. *What could Draco have said that Jamie wouldn't want to repeat?* he wondered.  
  
He replayed the harsh words that had been said before the fight through his mind over and over. Each time it became even more confusing.  
  
When Harry got up to leave for his next class, Jamie slipped a folded note into his hand. He pocketed it, and headed for double Charms. In the hallway, he stepped to the side of the crowding students, and opened the note.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jamie patiently waited in greenhouse seven for Harry to arrive. She started fiddling with a green and blue plant with bright yellow flowers, when it shrieked and bit her finger with its razor-like leaves.  
  
"Ouch!"  
  
Then she heard a small laugh behind her. She spun around so hard, it made Harry jump back. "Sorry, I was about to tell you not to touch the Mennasprouts, but I figured you got the point when it bit you." he said, smiling.  
  
Jamie sighed, and turned back around. Harry walked around her to face her. "I didn't mean to scare you." he said seriously.  
  
"I'm not scared." she replied, quiet enough that Harry didn't hear it.  
  
"So. um - what's this all about?" Harry asked uncertainly.  
  
"What part?" Jamie asked, looking up at Harry.  
  
"Uhh. what Draco said." Harry specified.  
  
"Draco said a lot of things." she replied bitterly.  
  
"He called you Malfoy." Harry said, wondering to himself what this might have meant.  
  
"I am Malfoy."  
  
Pause.  
  
Harry felt as if he were turning inside out with bewilderment. "What do you mean?" Harry asked finally, a momentous foreboding spreading through him at what Jamie might have meant by such a statement.  
  
Jamie's hands began to shake. "I mean that."  
  
".that Lucius Malfoy's my father."  
  
Harry blinked. Apprehensive silence followed.  
  
The only rational thing Harry could think of, was to disprove what had been told to him. "But you told me your parents were dead."  
  
"I told you my mother was killed by a Death Eater."  
  
Draco's words echoed and pierced Harry's still thoughts. ".long lost daughter of a death eater."  
  
A sickening thought entered Harry's mind as he realized her father had killed her mother. Then something else struck him. "Draco's your brother?"  
  
"Half brother." Jamie snapped, her eyes narrowed. "And only by blood." she added bitterly.  
  
"Why did-" Harry cut himself short, aware of how personal that question would have been. *Why did Lucius kill your mother?* is what he would have asked.  
  
Jamie had been looking straight into Harry's eyes the whole time. "Because she left him. And took me."  
  
Harry suddenly remembered to breathe. He breathed. "Why would he kill for that?"  
  
Jamie's gaze shifted towards the plant that had bitten her. "It's not that he cared for me at all. All he cared about was the blood that ran through his veins, and the name Malfoy. I had that blood, and that name."  
  
"My mother was only a pure-blood in his eyes - not a woman."  
  
Harry grasped her hand. "And your mother was a great woman for taking you away from that."  
  
"Yes, but I don't know how she did it." Jamie frowned as she wondered about this. "I suppose maybe my stepfather helped her." she said with a small smile. He must have been a great father to her- what ever happened to him, if only she knew.  
  
"Who was your stepfather?"  
  
Jamie shrugged, "I don't know."  
  
"Can't you. see him?"  
  
Jamie shook her head in frustration.  
  
After a small pause, Harry picked a non-biting flower, stuck it in Jamie's hair, and gave her a small kiss. "You have your mother's hair, eyes," Harry paused and laughed, "and freckles - but you inherited nothing from the man who claims to be your father."  
  
"But I'm in Slytherin."  
  
"Yes, well - only blood matters to them."  
  
Jamie smiled and stepped towards him - looking into his face, "How is it you always make things seem better than they are?"  
  
"Because they are." he answered quietly, and pressed his lips against hers, drowning in the smell of sweet flowers.  
  
Jamie wrapped her arms around his neck. - and quickly pulled away, much to Harry's surprise, and disappointment.  
  
"What?" he asked, a little irritated.  
  
"Detention." she said, smiling sympathetically.  
  
"ARGH!" 


	15. Competition

As March approached, the climate grew steadily warmer. It was still cold - it just didn't have the bite it had had in the winter. The snow had melted by now, and was replaced by rain - ever constant rain.  
  
Jamie was on her way to the library - it wasn't like there was anywhere else to go. She would have gone outside - had it not been raining like mad.  
  
She ascended from under the castle and started across the entrance hall, when she saw Lisa - drenched and thoroughly wet.  
  
"Hi Jamie!" she said with a huge grin on her face. She was dripping everywhere - it was as if a puddle was following her around like a lost puppy.  
  
"Lisa, I don't know if you've noticed, but you're dripping wet."  
  
Lisa looked down at her heavily hanging soaked robes. "Oh yeah, that."  
  
She looked up at Jamie and smiled, "Tom took me for a walk."  
  
"Okay. So."  
  
"He asked me out!" she exclaimed, shaking her hair everywhere as she jumped up and down. Jamie backed away to avoid getting wet, herself.  
  
"What does Ron think about this?" Jamie pointed out.  
  
Lisa's face fell, "Oh, you take the fun out of everything." she moped.  
  
"Well, to be quite honest, I think you should tell your boyfriend before you go out with someone else." Jamie said sagely.  
  
Lisa stomped her foot. "Oh, but that's just the thing! I told Tom yes, and so therefore, Ron HAS to be okay with it."  
  
Jamie eyed Lisa critically.  
  
"He has to!" she whined.  
  
Jamie put her head in her hands. "Are you going to tell him, or not?"  
  
"Yes, I'll tell him." Lisa defended. "But."  
  
"But?"  
  
"But."  
  
"."  
  
"But. But!"  
  
Jamie laughed. *Is this girl really a Ravenclaw?*  
  
"But what?"  
  
Lisa sighed in frustration.  
  
"Do you want me to talk to him?" Jamie asked, slightly exhausted with the conversation.  
  
"No. I'll do that.but."  
  
Jamie was getting tired of Lisa's constant stubborn rebuttals.  
  
"Look, It would be better if he heard it from you, rather than from Parvati Patil, or someone like that."  
  
Lisa smiled. "You're right."  
  
"I always am." Jamie replied, grinning.  
  
Lisa shook her head, and then stood up as tall as she could, and let out a deep exhale. "Okay. I'll tell him." Her eyes darted away towards the ground quickly, "tomorrow." She added hastily.  
  
"Today." Jamie corrected.  
  
"Today. Yes, today."  
  
Lisa walked off, repeating the word - over and over and over.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The next morning was normal as any other day. Except, of course, for the fact that Ron would mutter curses under his breath every two or three sentences. Hermione was, also, randomly bright and chipper.  
  
Harry was going on and on about how awful his last detention was. "Not only was I supposed to be organizing the Potions classroom, I had to be under the supervision of Snape." Harry gave an involuntary shudder, and scowled at his breakfast.  
  
Meanwhile Ron was glaring murderously at somebody at the Ravenclaw table. "Look at him. Trying to impress *everybody* around. I bet half of what he's telling them isn't even true!"  
  
"Then, after that, he made me *clean.* Do you know how grimy that place is? It's a dungeon, for crying out loud!"  
  
"Oh, and look at that. Lisa's drinking in every word of it. Maybe he's got a spell on everyone - he can't possibly be *that* interesting to listen to - or to look at for that matter."  
  
Hermione and Jamie just ate silently - nodding from time to time.  
  
"Oh, but that's not all. I had to be there all night, or else my punishment wouldn't be sufficient, he told me. The ugly git."  
  
"He could have at least *told* me he was planning on stealing her. That way, I could dump her first - and save some of my dignity!"  
  
"Cobwebs! Imagine, the cobwebs of the potions classroom. There's no telling what Snape might have done experimentally to those spiders. And I had to clean it up!"  
  
"Are you even listening to what I'm saying?"  
  
Hermione and Jamie nodded once again.  
  
And the madness continued.  
  
"Potter do this, Potter do that."  
  
"Tom said this, Tom really likes that."  
  
Hermione and Jamie looked at each other, and nodded in silent agreement.  
  
"Ron!" Hermione finally exclaimed. "We're all aware of your terrible loss, but we'd rather not have you list everything that's wrong with Tom! I don't care!"  
  
Harry, however, ignored Hermione's shouts at Ron, and kept on going. "Not good enough, Potter. Missed a spot, Pot-" Jamie silenced Harry with a kiss. He stopped talking, much to Jamie's relief.  
  
Ron rounded on Hermione, "So, you're on his side now, are you?"  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes, and turned back to her food.  
  
"I wouldn't be surprised if you just went and followed Lisa over there."  
  
"Eat your food, Ron."  
  
"Why should I?"  
  
"Because you dished a whole plateful!"  
  
"So, suddenly I'm stuck to an obligation to eat every bit of it?"  
  
"You could at least make an attempt!"  
  
"I have made an attempt, and it seems it just kept backfiring on me every time!"  
  
Before they realized it, they had stopped talking about Ron's food.  
  
"Maybe it wasn't a good enough attempt!"  
  
"Maybe you were too busy with people like Krum!"  
  
"Maybe you were too busy with people like Lisa!"  
  
"Maybe I've tried to be a friend, but even that wouldn't work out!"  
  
"Maybe you just weren't a good enough friend!"  
  
"Maybe I wan-" Ron was about to say something, but decided actions speaking louder than words. He kissed her firmly, and then said, "Is that good enough for you?"  
  
He got up and left the Great Hall, with Hermione still sitting - dazed. Harry closed his mouth when he noticed it had been open for quite a time.  
  
"And I thought detention was bad." 


	16. Green Flames

Author's note: wow! Honestly, I had no intention for this to turn all Ron/Hermione on me. It just did. Oh well, I guess I'm okay with it. Read... now.  
  
Weeks passed and there was still no sign of a reaction from Hermione - or even Ron. They simply didn't see each other when the other one walked into a room.  
  
"Look on the bright side," Harry had said after another silent breakfast, "at least they aren't constantly biting each other's heads off."  
  
These words were of little comfort to Jamie. "Yes, but doesn't it bother you that they aren't talking at all? I mean, they weren't *constantly* bickering before all this happened - they were still friends - but now."  
  
Harry gasped and held up a finger in the air, "Bickering! That's the word I was looking for. Bickering."  
  
Jamie sighed and shook her head conclusively. "Something has to be done about this."  
  
Harry grinned, "Don't worry about it. It'll happen soon enough." He said - quite pleased with himself. Had Jamie seen the light bulb above his head, she would have stopped him.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jamie could have sworn Professor Flitwick had shrunk. She could tell he looked slightly shorter when he had walked into the classroom - before he perched himself at the high podium in the front of the class. There was only one way to find out.  
  
Jamie sat in the front corner of the classroom so she could get a good view of the books he was standing on.  
  
*One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.*  
  
Well, that was the same as it had always been. Seven books. *But,* thought Jamie, noticing the book on the top of the pile, *he's standing on an Ancient Charms book - instead of the Standard Book of Spells, Grade Seven. This new one's thicker. Maybe he HAS shrunk.*  
  
It was then Jamie noticed Flitwick had started the lesson.  
  
"Green flames were discovered by Fanira, the Witch of the Sand in 89 BC. It was the same witch that had discovered the charm - the only charm - that could put out these flames."  
  
"The interesting thing about green flames is that instead of consuming wood - like most fires do - they consume stone. Neither does oxygen feed it. Only stone."  
  
"Green flames are rarely seen, mainly because they are not natural and are only brought about by a spell. Only the darkest of wizards know how to conjure a green flame. Still, nobody knows how these wizards had learned of this spell - but it is nevertheless a well kept secret by those who do."  
  
Jamie was thinking this would fall under more of a History of Magic lesson than Charms.  
  
"There have, however, been witches and wizards who have bore witness to these rather strange fires. One of them, Windetta Cobsbonnet, had managed to take a moving photograph of it."  
  
Professor Flitwick brought out his wand and conjured a small picture in mid air, and then muttered Engorgio so it would be big enough for everyone to see. The picture was of a deserted street - a muggle street by the looks of it. Jamie could tell by the red, yellow and green color boxes above the road they used to direct their cars.  
  
In the middle of the street, however, was a fire. A plain, reddish orange fire crackling isolated from everything else. It must have been feeding off the asphault. Jamie frowned. The flames weren't green at all.  
  
Professor Flitwick left the photograph hanging in the air as he continued. "As you can see, these flames appear to be normal. The only way anyone can tell that these are not in fact ordinary flames, is by shooting water at it. This will turn the flames green."  
  
"For any who may be pursuing a career as an auror," he said, giving a meaningful glance towards Jamie, "will need to know the spell that will put out this fire. And even if you are not going to be an auror, you will need to be able to defend yourself from them. Dark times are indeed among us."  
  
Defend ourselves? Now, this was sounding more like a Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. Odd that she'd be learning the charm to put out the flames in this class.  
  
"We will have no time to learn the charm today, so we will continue this lesson on Monday."  
  
That had been the first time Jamie hadn't used her wand in Charms. She was rather disappointed.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~ 


	17. Wolves, water, and crying

"Harry! Just got out of Transfiguration?"  
  
"Yeah." He answered, smiling.  
  
Jamie decided not to take note of it. *So what if he was smiling out of nowhere?*  
  
"Where are you heading?"  
  
"Oh.er.library."  
  
Odd.  
  
"Okay, see you at dinner, then." she answered, slightly bemused, and turned into another corridor.  
  
The hallway was completely empty except for. what?  
  
Jamie couldn't see anything in the hallway. But she could sense something. Someone? Who knows. All she got was a strange feeling. Almost a feeling of familiarity.  
  
Jamie concentrated hard. water. Water? All she could think of was water.  
  
Crash - flying books.  
  
"Sorry." came the distracted voice of Luna Lovegood. Jamie hadn't realized she had been heading straight towards her - she must have had her eyes closed to focus on her thoughts.  
  
Her thoughts - they came rushing back to her. Water! Water! Water! Her head was screaming. Whatever this feeling of water meant, it was resonating strongly from Luna.  
  
Luna. Water. Water and moons. Moon and water. Water! Water! Water!  
  
Jamie was aware that they had picked up their books, but hadn't continued. They were standing in the hallway - just standing there. Water! Water! Water!  
  
Luna seemed to be lost in as much thought as Jamie was.  
  
Luna's voice finally broke Jamie from her trance. "Isn't your last name Waters?"  
  
Jamie nodded. Luna frowned.  
  
"Jamie Waters." Jamie finished.  
  
"Oh, I'm Luna Lovegood." She said, extending her hand.  
  
Jamie shook her hand. *Odd girl,* she thought to herself.  
  
Jamie smiled, "Sorry about the." she motioned her hand towards the books Luna had picked up and was now holding.  
  
"Oh," she answered, looking down at her books, "That's okay,"  
  
Jamie smiled again. "Bye, then."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Jamie continued down the hallway, but Luna did not move. When she reached the end of the corridor, Jamie looked back to see that Luna was still standing there, books in hand, and she continued to face the other end of the hallway. Not moving.  
  
Moon and water.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Once again, Jamie found herself in the same circular stone room she had dreamed about. As before, her vision shifted - but not to her mother. She was outside. It seemed like she was on castle grounds - but years before. It was a cloudless night and the moon was shining. Jamie didn't have to look up to see it. She could see it's pale reflection on the lake.  
  
Moon and water.  
  
She heard a wolf howl. At first in pain - but a second howl sounded, filled with an intense rage.  
  
"She was never yours." Came the cry of her mother - so long ago. Or was it now?  
  
April Summers  
  
Joel Stratus  
  
Leslie Stratus  
  
Jenna Hancock  
  
The wolf howled again. Agony was its cry.  
  
Jamie had had this dream before, but it had never seemed so real as it had now. What it meant, not even her Sight could help her to figure out. It seemed her mind was screaming the answer - but something else was screaming just as loud - drowning out the sound.  
  
She woke up to see silver strands of moonlight splashing across the dormitory. The deafening silence was ringing in her ears. She closed her eyes, and sleep brought the same dreams of wolves, water, and crying.  
  
AN: I know this is getting a little weird, but just remember these dreams because this is actually a scene in the sequel. The whole Moon and water thing is just a clue about Luna if you want to try and figure it out. 


	18. A Letter Not From Lupin

(Author's note: I fully apologize about this being so confusing. The dreams and weird visions will all make sense when you read the sequel, because some of them are actually taken from scenes that I wrote for it. But these next chapters will be very vague and sort of like a fill-in-the-blank. It includes the part where Harry defeats Voldemort, and I, for one, am still absolutely baffled at how he will pull that off. As for now, I will continue my story, but leave one little chunk for JKR to write, because it is not my place to finish what's hers. So, therefore, this will be extremely vague, but bear with me - it's the most detailed I can make it without "adding on" to the HP books. Ok? Read on then.)  
  
"Hi Harry. Hi Jamie."  
  
Jamie didn't respond - she wasn't sure how to. Harry was only grinning. "Hi Ron. Hermione." She replied - baffled.  
  
The two sat down - Ron put his arm around Hermione, and Hermione laid her head on his shoulder. Ron yawned, and Hermione poked him. "Wha?" he asked in the middle of his yawn.  
  
"Close your mouth." Ron smiled at her.  
  
Jamie turned to Harry, gave him a questioning look, and Harry laughed.  
  
"What did you do?" Jamie mouthed silently.  
  
Harry leaned over and whispered so Ron and Hermione wouldn't hear. "Love potion. I put it in both their drinks at dinner."  
  
"Harry!" she hissed, and then glanced over at Ron and Hermione to see that they weren't listening. Harry seemed quite pleased with himself.  
  
He continued. "Although, it should have worn off by now. I just gave them a nudge in the right direction."  
  
Jamie gave him a very angry look.  
  
"I thought you'd be happy." He added nervously.  
  
Jamie sighed, shook her head and let herself smile slightly. Maybe it was a good thing.  
  
The owls flew in with the morning post, and an unfamiliar owl rudely landed right in Harry's eggs. Harry untied the letter from its leg, and the owl turned around to face Jamie. Its eyes were horrible. They looked the same as any owl's eyes - but somehow, they were horrible at the same time. Jamie couldn't wait for this owl to fly off and leave the castle. Somehow she sensed it was a bringer of bad news.  
  
Harry opened the letter and brightened.  
  
"Who's it from?" Hermione asked.  
  
Harry's face fell slightly as a thought struck him.  
  
He looked back up. "Lupin." Harry replied shortly. You'd think he'd be a bit more cheerful to hear from Lupin.  
  
"Really?" Ron asked.  
  
Nope, Jamie heard distinctly from Harry, although he had not voiced it out loud.  
  
"Our teacher from third year?" Jamie asked. Harry nodded and pretended to read. His face gradually fell more and more by the second as thoughts swam through his head.  
  
Jamie wanted to know who it was really from. "Are you sure?"  
  
Harry looked up from the letter, forced a smile and turned the letter around so everyone could see Lupin's name at the bottom.  
  
Jamie didn't smile. Harry looked at her - his face smiling, but with pain in his eyes.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The four left the Great Hall and were heading through the Entrance Hall towards the doors that led outside. Harry stopped in mid-step.  
  
"What is it Harry?" Ron asked.  
  
Harry looked at him as if he just noticed he was there. "Oh, er. go on, I'll meet you outside."  
  
Ron nodded and he and Hermione continued on their way.  
  
Jamie stayed behind. "What is it, really?"  
  
With difficulty, Harry looked up at her. "I.er.I'm going to the Owlery to. er. reply the letter." Harry couldn't bear to look in her eyes, for they clearly showed suspicion. He might not see those eyes again. He fought the impulse to hug her, and forced a cheerful smile.  
  
"I'll meet you outside, it'll only take a moment." He lied.  
  
"If it'll only take a moment, how about I come with you."  
  
"No!" he replied, a little too quickly. "Er. I mean, no. No, you don't have to. I. I'll only be a second."  
  
Jamie remained skeptical.  
  
"You can keep an eye on Ron and Hermione for me. " he added with a grin.  
  
"Okay." Jamie replied and reluctantly turned around and headed towards the sunlight.  
  
Harry sighed as he watched her go, and bit his lip.  
  
One must die at the hands of the other, for neither can live while the other survives.  
  
Harry took a deep breath and headed East towards the Owlery.  
  
He was willingly walking into a trap, and somehow Jamie knew.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jamie stepped outside with a deep sense of foreboding. Although the sky was clear and bright, she felt as if storm clouds were above her. She walked towards the lake, not knowing exactly why.  
  
She remembered Ron and Hermione were out here, but before she had the time to look around for them, her mind froze.  
  
An empty euphoria took over her. Her senses were dimmed, and her mind was lifted of all worries. She felt light and knew no more.  
  
It was a day not at all unlike this one. Something had to be different, though. Her eyes traveled up, up, up - and she finally saw the top of the eastern tower - engulfed in flame. Shock spread through her like an arrow - but her mind didn't register it.  
  
She opened her eyes to the present to see that she was standing exactly where she had seen herself seconds ago - except that she was facing the lake. She turned her head - barely aware of the action - and numbly witnessed the foreseen catastrophe. Her brain was screaming at her to breathe - she must have forgotten to. But for a moment she felt she didn't need to.  
  
Ashes began to fall all around her, catching in her almond brown hair. She barely noticed as she stood - transfixed.  
  
Chaos and panic was all around her. This also failed to break her gaze from the burning tower. It didn't matter, she needn't see the chaos - she could feel it.  
  
Screaming.  
  
Terror.  
  
Pain.  
  
*Pain? Who would be feeling pain?* Jamie frantically searched her mind for an answer - and it came.  
  
*Harry.*  
  
With bitter realization, Jamie remembered.  
  
The Owlery was in the eastern tower. 


	19. The Prophecy

Jamie shook off her weighing trance and briefly reprimanded herself for just standing there and watching while Harry was suffering needlessly. She set off at a run.  
  
Crowds and masses of students were pushing and shoving themselves and others - frantically trying to get out of the castle.  
  
Jamie was the only student trying to get in.  
  
She had finally gotten through the crowded Entrance Hall and into the seemingly empty towering room filled with moving staircases as far as the eye could see. A few first years were running down the stairs to the right, and eyed Jamie incredulously when they found her rushing past them - up towards the eastern tower.  
  
She reached the second floor and saw Luna Lovegood standing there - watching Jamie run frantically up another staircase that would take her up to the fourth floor.  
  
"He's not there." Jamie heard from behind her.  
  
Jamie turned around, "What did you say?"  
  
Luna frowned, "Did I say something?"  
  
Moon and Water. That was her heritage. Luna's parents. *Moon and Water? Does this have anything to do with the Lovegoods?* Jamie didn't think so.  
  
Jamie remembered why she was breathing so hard. She ran back up the steps and took a sharp left at the top.  
  
She raced down the corridor ahead of her. Then the one to the right. To the left. Right. Left. Straight forward.  
  
In a moment of panic, Jamie thought she was lost. That was when a nameless voice in the back of her mind told her to turn left and keep going. She obeyed.  
  
An orange glow came into view, and soon enough, Jamie could feel the heat from the flames around the corner. She ran through the corridor without a second thought as to what she was doing. Running, running, fire. There was a blazing fire in front of her - and she could not continue.  
  
She closed her eyes and reached out in her mind. Her eyes snapped open in an instant. *He's not here.* In fact, Jamie had a feeling he wasn't even in the castle. Luna had been right. *How had she known?*  
  
Jamie felt a sweat break out, and she noticed that she was surrounded by flames. The only part that wasn't completely consumed by flames was the painting across from her.  
  
*Odd,* she thought.  
  
In an instant, her wand was out. "Hydronus."  
  
A burst of water shot out of the tip of her wand and struck the root of the flames. In a flash, they glowed green, and then returned to their original color and blazed on.  
  
She knew this. Thank goodness for Charms.  
  
Jamie strained to remember the lesson from yesterday. Was it really only yesterday? The only part she could remember was Professor Flitwick telling them that they would learn the counter-curse on Monday. Unfortunately, today was Saturday, and Jamie didn't have much time. Just her luck.  
  
She paced back and forth, thinking of a way out. There had to be a way out. It was increasingly difficult to breathe in the smoke that surrounded her. Her lungs were protesting and she coughed and forced the offensive air out of her body. After this, she opened her mouth for a deep breath. But there wasn't any air to breathe. She was choking. The coughing racked her body as it grew worse.  
  
She couldn't die like this.  
  
Something in the corner of her vision caught her eye. It was a door. Jamie was sure it hadn't been there a second ago. Had it been, she would have used it.  
  
This was exactly what she needed.  
  
She jerked the door open and stepped in to see that it was a tunnel. Where it lead, Jamie didn't know. She vaguely remembered the room, but not the surroundings. In an instant, it registered.  
  
The last time she had been in here it was nice and it had six chintz armchairs and pixie feed..  
  
She was in the Room of Requirement. She needed a way out.  
  
Jamie followed the tunnel for what seemed like hours, but were really only minutes. She began to run - she didn't have time for this.  
  
*Where was Harry?*  
  
Jamie finally stopped when she saw a trap door in front of her. She opened it and stepped out into the Entrance Hall. She looked back to see that there was in fact, no trap door - anymore.  
  
Jamie needed answers. She stopped as she tried to organize her incoherent thoughts. An idea struck her and she turned left. Dumbledore always had answers.  
  
Jamie finally reached the stone gargoyle, spoke the password, and entered the office without so much as a knock. She felt she didn't need to, since she already knew he wasn't going to be in there.  
  
Jamie dropped her face in her hands and sank down to the floor in tears. She closed her eyes to the office, to the setting sun, and to her life. She couldn't bare it. sitting here. useless.  
  
A thought entered her head. A single, reassuring thought.  
  
Harry was alive - that much she knew.  
  
Jamie let herself relax and take it all in.  
  
She could tell he was scared, as well. He was far away from here - but not too far.  
  
He was in the presence of someone very powerful. Someone who wanted him dead above anything else.  
  
Harry was with Voldemort.  
  
He was being taunted, and Jamie could feel the reality and intensity of his anger - even from where she sat huddled in the corner of the headmaster's office. (Author's note: please don't ask me how there can be a corner in a circular room. I know, I know.)  
  
She felt him fight back. What a Gryffindor.  
  
Jamie laughed in spite of herself, and choked back a sob.  
  
*How could she laugh about this?*  
  
The sun set just outside the window, and red splashed the sky like a blank canvas.  
  
She heard the door open and Dumbledore came in. Jamie snapped up and stood, wiping the tears from her face. She found it was no use trying to hide it since her eyes were probably all red and puffy anyway.  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "The tower has been taken care of, and all is well." He didn't seem at all surprised that Jamie was there.  
  
"Harry's gone, Headmaster!" Jamie cried, thoroughly exasperated.  
  
Dumbledore frowned and held up a hand. "I am aware, and there is nothing I can do about it. Nor can you."  
  
The colors of the sky mixed to gray, and the sky darkened. Jamie wasn't sure she had ever seen the sun set so fast.  
  
She opened her mouth but no words came out.  
  
Realizing Jamie was at a loss for words, the headmaster continued, "Harry must fight his own battle."  
  
"He might not win!" Jamie cried. She let out a breath and saw that the sun had left the horizon, and light was leaving the world.  
  
"I can feel him struggling, and he isn't strong enough." She continued, desperate for Dumbledore to do something - anything. She wished he would wave his wand - recite a tongue-twister of a spell, and everything would be right. He always had an answer. Always. Right?  
  
"I have never doubted Harry's capabilities. There is hope." The sky was devoid of all light now. "But he might not win." Jamie repeated, quieter this time. *How could the man just stand there - so calm?*  
  
A thought struck Jamie and she saw the image of Harry, holding two wands - each made from the same phoenix. Fawkes sang a single low note, and a warm relief Jamie could not explain spread through her to her fingertips.  
  
Dumbledore smiled a small smile and said, "I think we both can tell he already has."  
  
Hope filled Jamie's very soul - she could almost taste it. She supposed if you could taste hope, it would taste as good as she felt right now. Hope was sweet.  
  
Dumbledore paused and added, "Actually, I think you will find he is now in Hogsmeade."  
  
Jamie frowned momentarily. "Why? How?"  
  
"He couldn't have done it in the castle - the walls wouldn't allow it. The next closest place is Hogsmeade."  
  
A single star appeared in the dark sky and Jamie fled the office with a quick thank you.  
  
Jamie stopped in the corridor. *He couldn't have done what inside the castle?* At that moment, a foreign memory entered her head. She was in a very official looking room of a very official looking building. An official looking wizard smiled and said, "I'm pleased to say, Mr. Potter, you passed with flying colors."  
  
Jamie opened her eyes, and understood how he had gotten back. *Why hadn't he told her?*  
  
She ran down the stairs, across the Entrance Hall, through the giant oak doors, across the grounds, down the path, past the lake, and to the gate. She felt her legs would never tire.  
  
A very weary looking seventeen year old wizard with jet black hair and startling green eyes behind glasses, wearing tattered robes trudged in the dark silently past one of the shops.  
  
He was carrying two wands and the title of hero.  
  
Jamie stopped and smiled. He stopped as well. *Who needs words anyway?*  
  
Nevertheless, Jamie spoke. "I see you passed your Apparation Test last summer."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
(Author's note: I know this was terribly written, and there's really nothing I can do about it. I had no idea what I was writing about (except for the part with Luna.) everything else confuses me as much as it probably will confuse my readers. I still have no idea how Harry defeats Voldemort. Can anyone tell me? Nope. I guess we'll have to wait for HP7 now won't we? ARGH!)  
  
okay. when my friends read this chapter, they were a bit confused on what happened. So, here it is. Straight and simple. Voldemort led Harry to the Owlery with the letter *supposedly* from Lupin, and blew up the tower and took Harry. Harry killed him, took his wand and apparated to Hogsmeade. Ok. There. Just in case somebody didn't get it.  
  
WOAH! Now that I summarize it, it kinda sounds stupid. Hmmmm.  
  
Two more chapters to go!!!! Wooooooo! 


	20. Through the Years

Through the years, things got brighter, but darkness remained. After the fall of Voldemort, many Death Eaters rallied, and some claimed that they had always been second-in-command. The main threat was gone, but there would always be hatred in the world. And that's what Aurors were being trained for.  
  
Jamie and Harry had been in the same Auror Training School for two years now. Ron went on to play for the Chudley Cannons, and Hermione had taken a year of training after graduation and was now a Healer at St. Mungo's.  
  
Fred and George's business in Diagon Alley thrived, and was pretty well- known by now. Neville applied for a teaching job at Hogwarts after he graduated. Not only was he the youngest professor ever to teach at the school, but he was the first Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to last more than a year for a long time.  
  
Some concluded that the first time Snape didn't get the Dark Arts job, he cursed the position, so no teacher would stay more than a year. That way, he always had the opportunity to apply for the job. But Snape retired from Hogwarts when he learned that Neville had made it instead of him. He was somewhat used to the defeat by now. but Neville? That had been the last straw.  
  
Ginny had also been looking into being a Healer, and having graduated from Hogwarts over a year ago, she had just finished her Healer training.  
  
It was August 16th, and Jamie was spending her 20th birthday at school, learning how to ward off weapons protected by complex spells. Class was over, and she and Harry were studying.  
  
Jamie screwed up her face in concentration. "Elmenduis Retardum"  
  
Harry didn't say anything, but kept on smiling.  
  
"Well?" she asked after a few moments.  
  
"Well, what?" he asked.  
  
"Did I say it right?" she asked him worriedly.  
  
Harry's grin grew wider. "Well, if we had a deadly weapon surrounded by dark magic aimed at your head, then we'd be able to tell if you said it right or not." He said, taking out his wand as well.  
  
Jamie gave him a hopeless look, and brought her wand back out to practice the spell again. Before she had the chance to open her mouth, however, she saw that there was something floating in mid-air in front of her. Something small and shiny - it was a ring.  
  
She looked over at Harry to see that he was grinning broadly as ever, holding out his wand, keeping the small ring levitated in front of Jamie.  
  
Jamie grabbed it out of mid-air and Harry dropped his arm to his side. "What's this?" she asked, looking at the small ring in her hand.  
  
Harry walked over to her, closed her hand around the ring with his and kissed her. Jamie pulled back to look into his eyes. *What was all this about?* She asked herself.  
  
And then, to answer her question, Harry began to hum a wedding march under his breath, smiling at her. "Dum dum dudum."  
  
Jamie's eyes widened and she hugged him hard, intending to never let go.  
  
"Happy Birthday." came a voice beside her ear.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
AN: Sorry it was short. This just came out of nowhere. ONE MORE CHAPTER!!!  
  
*author gasps in shock and falls over dead*  
  
It's a nasty cliffhanger and you will hate me.  
  
hehe.  
  
*runs out of the room to write* 


	21. Knowing

Jamie and Harry had graduated from Auror Training School a year ago, which meant they had been out of Hogwarts for four years, making them both twenty- two. They knew they weren't old, but it was hard to consider themselves young. They both had tough, time-consuming jobs, and they already had a 13 month old son. Being an Auror was so mentally and physically exhausting, it was becoming increasingly difficult to consider themselves young. But they were.  
  
Jamie put the sleeping baby Sirius into his crib, and climbed into bed to see Harry was already sleeping. She smiled and followed suit. It didn't take long to drift off - she was already extremely tired.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Harry wasn't sure if he was very short, or if everyone else was very tall. Things that were normally up to his waist, now towered over him. He felt so small. *Where was he?*  
  
All he could see were numerous pairs of feet passing by. He looked up to see who the feet belonged to and found the underside of a large dining table staring back at him.  
  
Wondering what in the world he was doing under there, he went to climb out from under the table. When he emerged from under the lacy white tablecloth, he found that he couldn't stand. His legs just couldn't support him.  
  
In fact he felt as if he had never walked before.  
  
Somehow, he knew Jamie was here. He shuffled around on his hands and knees, looking for her. People looked down at him and smiled warmly. *Did he know them? Did they know him?*  
  
He was vaguely aware of somewhat calling out his name. A woman with a voice that was distantly familiar to him.  
  
"Harry, now where'd you get to?"  
  
Harry was about to respond, when he found he couldn't talk, either. A jumble of incoherent sounds stumbled out of his mouth, and he woke up to see that he was normal size, lying in his bed. He looked around and saw that it was morning already, and also realized that Jamie wasn't next to him.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jamie found herself standing on Hogwarts grounds. She hadn't been there in a while, but every detail seemed so real to her - she must have been here yesterday. It was the same as it always was.  
  
Timeless. Ageless. Ceaseless.  
  
It was dark, and the only source of light was the full moon shining above her. It seemed to be grinning wickedly tonight, and Jamie wondered how the moon could smile.  
  
A wolf's cry made her shiver, and she heard the screams that followed.  
  
April Summers - dead.  
  
Joel Stratus - dead.  
  
Leslie Stratus - dead.  
  
Jenna Hancock - dead.  
  
*What had killed them?* A monster. A monster filled with anger and pain.  
  
The wolf howled again, and Jamie saw a little girl standing alone in a dark corridor - crying.  
  
The little girl had brown hair, and brown eyes behind tears, and freckles just like Jamie.  
  
Jamie cried.  
  
She wept as her vision was cleared. She could remember everything she had yearned to know for so long. She had wanted to know for years, and years - her whole life it seemed. Now that she knew, it hurt so badly she felt like ripping apart this blankness that enveloped her.  
  
She couldn't bare the pain.  
  
The wolf howled. He couldn't bare the pain either.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Harry walked into the kitchen to see Jamie making eggs and bacon. Harry was relieved to see there were no potatoes. He had had enough potatoes to last him a lifetime.  
  
Jamie lazily waved her wand, and watched as the breakfast magically cooked itself. Jamie felt two arms wrap around her waist and she visibly jumped. She spun around, and Harry couldn't help but laugh at the frightened look on her face.  
  
Jamie sighed and went back to her cooking.  
  
Harry smiled and sat down at the table and said, "Somebody needs a little more auror training."  
  
Jamie turned around and squinted her eyes at the grinning Harry.  
  
He continued, standing up, "If I'm not mistaken, I'd say that I actually frightened you. Aurors aren't supposed to be scared."  
  
Jamie waved her wand at the breakfast, and it scooted itself onto a huge platter. "Excuse me, but I believe I'm the one that received top marks on my Auror Test, thank you very much."  
  
Harry frowned. "Yes, but that's because you could see what was around every corner," he countered, grinning.  
  
Jamie gave him a challenging look, and grabbed the platter along with a knife and fork, and sat down. She decided Harry had lost his right to eat the breakfast she had cooked.  
  
Harry watched as she started eating the four or five eggs, and mounting pile of bacon. He spoke up after a minute or two. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you made that breakfast for two people." he said with a small smile.  
  
Jamie smiled back, and stabbed an egg with her fork. "Nope. Just really hungry."  
  
Harry pulled up a seat next to her, and picked up a fork before scooting half the food onto his own plate. Jamie looked up at him harshly.  
  
"Just helping out." he said, sticking a piece of bacon into his mouth. Jamie smiled, and laughed.  
  
It wasn't long before she could hear the baby's cries coming from the other room.  
  
She swallowed and said, "That would be Sirius."  
  
She got up and left the room. Harry had barely gotten past his second egg when a knock sounded at the door.  
  
He got up, and opened it to see a very tired, but cheerful Remus Lupin.  
  
"Just thought I'd visit." he said.  
  
Harry welcomed him in, and Lupin looked around the room expectantly. "So, where is he?"  
  
Harry smiled. "Oh, the baby? Jamie just went to get him."  
  
At that moment, Jamie entered the room, holding the baby Sirius in her arms. She blinked, and Lupin drew in a deep breath.  
  
"Hello," he said awkwardly.  
  
Jamie nodded and blinked again.  
  
Harry smiled and offered Lupin some breakfast, which he gratefully accepted. They talked for a while about the people who had been in the Order, and about the baby, and even briefly about quidditch. The whole time Jamie remained silent, and sat lost in her own thoughts. *Should she say anything?*  
  
Lupin got up from the table, handed Sirius back to Harry, and got ready to leave.  
  
Jamie only realized he was leaving when he had come to face her, and had said good-bye. Jamie returned the farewell, wondering if she should say anymore. If she did, this would be the perfect chance.  
  
Lupin gave one last wave and took a step out the door, when Jamie looked up and came to a decision.  
  
"Mr. Lupin?" she called to his back quietly. Lupin stopped but didn't turn around.  
  
"R-Remus?" she surprised herself along with Lupin by using his name. He turned around slowly with a pained look on his face. He stood in the doorway, waiting for Jamie to speak - afraid of what she had to say.  
  
"I know," she said simply.  
  
A moment of confusion at this abrupt statement passed across Remus's face, but in another moment, he knew exactly what she was talking about - though, he wasn't sure how.  
  
Remus nodded, and let out a deep breath he had been holding in for twenty years. He felt relieved that she hadn't been erased forever. She knew, now. She just might forgive him.  
  
He made her forget all those years ago, and now she knew.  
  
"I knew you would, someday." he said, and smiled a sad smile.  
  
SO! Does this make no sense or what? Well, guess what? It's supposed to be confusing. That's the suspense! If you knew everything, you wouldn't read the sequel, now would ya? I'm sorry to say, this is the end of the story, BUT I will have a sequel, the story of Jamie's parents and the Marauders and all that, and EVERYTHING WILL BE EXPLAINED. In the meantime, I'll be working my butt off writing.  
  
Keep checking in! The second story will be up a lot sooner than you think. 


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